Fixation
by BlueMoon Goddess
Summary: When Aoyama confesses to an affair, Ichigo's left angry and heartbroken. With a bit of encouraging from her friends, the idea of sex as revenge begins to intrigue her and hooking up with Kisshu fits perfectly. But once the affair runs its course, Kisshu is convinced he can't live wihtout her. And one way or another he will have her, even if it means exacting revenge of his own.
1. Prologue

BlueMoon Goddess: Okay when I first did fanfiction I already knew that certain anime's I liked I would do and some I wouldn't do. Of course this anime I knew I would NEVER do. I love to read it but I would never write it because I wouldn't know what to write about and I would worry that the characters would be too OOC. But hey in most fanfics characters are usually OOC so who really cares. However after I read this book I bought years ago and finally got the chance to read it, I thought to myself as I was reading it, "OMG this totally screams fanfic for Kisshu and Ichigo!"

So I decided to break-away from my InuYasha and Yu-Gi-Oh! fanfics (since that's the anime I like to stick to more) and try my hand at doing Tokyo Mew Mew and a Kisshu and Ichigo story at that. Now again this is my first time dealing with Tokyo Mew Mew so be nice in the reviews. Critics are welcome but no flames please. And before I get into the story, there are some points that I need to make:

Point 1: This is an M rated story so expect lots and lots of hot lemony goodness!

Point 2: Most of the characters WILL be a bit OOC, especially Ichigo and maybe Kisshu in some aspects. But I'll do my best and stick to their personalities and character.

Point 3: Kisshu is not an alien in this fic. Yea I know some of you are probably mad about that, but don't worry cause he will still have some of his features, mainly his eyes.

Point 4: The characters are going to be older and here to help is how their ages are: Ichigo, Mint, Moe and Miwa are 20. Masaya Aoyama and Retasu are 21, and Kisshu is 22

And I think that's all the points that need to be made, so let's finally get onto my first Tokyo Mew Mew fic, happy reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew or its character's they all belong to Mia Ikumi and Reiko Yoshida. Also, all credit for the plot goes to Kayla Perrin's book 'Obsession' since this is where the story comes from.

Summary: After Aoyama confesses to an affair, Ichigo's anger leaves her livid and heartbroken, unable to process his attempt to repair the damage by suggesting she have a tryst of her own. Soon though, with a bit of encouraging from her friends, the idea of sex as retaliation begins to intrigue her, and it just might be what she needs before she can forgive Aoyama. And hooking up with Kisshu who's willing to push the limits of Ichigo's needs fits perfectly. Ichigo's greediness for Kisshu was always about experiencing intensity in the moment, but soon the affair runs its course and now it's time for her to focus on her future…with Aoyama. Except Kisshu is convinced he can't live without her. And one way or another he **will** have Ichigo, even if it means exacting revenge of his own.

* * *

The tip of the feather inched its way along her bottom lip. Such a light, wispy touch, but it sent a jolt of heat through her body causing her to part her lips and emit a shuddery moan. Another stroke. This time across her upper lip. Her naked body quivered. Quivered with anticipation of the pleasure that was to come.

The feather traveled lower, over her chin, then crossed the expanse of her neck from left to right. Right to left, all with agonizing slowness. Then it stopped…abruptly. Five seconds went by... she held her breath, waiting for what would come next. The blindfold over her eyes prompted her from seeing, but also heightened her sense of excitement. She could hear every sound in the room, smell everything. Mostly, she heard only her own raspy breaths and the whirring of the ceiling fan above the bed. But she could smell the desire in the room, clinging to drops of warm moisture in the air. She could smell the sweat dampening his skin. The scent was musky and heady.

And very arousing.

When the feather caressed her pert nipple, her body jerked, making her wrists and ankles pull against the ties that bound her to the bed.

"Do you like that?" He asked her.

"Yes." She responded, surprised to find her voice faint. "Yes." She repeated, louder this time.

Once again, nothing. Her hips writhed. She groaned softly. She was eager for his touch now, desperate for it.

"Patience, kitten." He murmured.

"Easy for you to say." She told him. "You have total control over my body right now."

"Have I disappointed you before?" He asked.

"No." She answered honestly. "Never."

"And I won't disappoint now."

The feather touched down between her rib cage, then traveled south, where it dipped into her belly button. It continued its lazy journey into her strip of hair covering her mound then stopped, just when she wanted it most.

She whimpered. "Please…don't make me beg."

He didn't say a word. Several seconds passed and nothing. She strained to hear past the sound the ceiling fan was making. Soft footfalls on the carpet, then the creaking of a bedroom door.

'What? Was he leaving me here?' She thought, almost in a panic. She counted ten more seconds and when he didn't return, she began to struggle against the ties that bound her. The headboard rattled as she pulled and yanked, futilely. The knots were too tight preventing her escape.

And then she heard the sound of footsteps again, he was coming back into the room. She exhaled audibly.

"Look at you." He said. "Your body is writhing. Did you think I was going to leave you here while I went and watched TV or something?"

She didn't answer. She suddenly felt very foolish. She _had_ been afraid that he'd left her there, totally exposed and helpless to escape until he freed her. She'd been under his complete control before, yet this was the first time she'd felt such a moment of panic.

'Why?' She began to wonder. 'Because he seemed different today. From the moment I'd arrived I could sense a certain intensity level in his looks and his touch. Something…darker.'

"I wouldn't leave you." He said. "I would never leave you. You and I, we're connected in a way we can't control."

She swallowed. Did she sense something menacing in his tone? Or was she a little unnerved because she was bound and blindfolded? How could a person be unnerved and extremely aroused at the same time?

"Do you trust me?" He asked. He was very close to her now. Maybe a foot away. She could tell by the sound of his voice.

She gyrated her hips, a motion that would please him given the view he had of her pussy with her legs spread the way they were. "Touch me." She said, her chest heaved with each breath. "Touch me before I die."

"Do you trust me?" He repeated, and she felt the weight of his body on the bed but couldn't tell where he was.

"Yes…yes, I trust you."

"Completely?" He asked, his warm breath suddenly tickling her clit, that act alone almost made her explode.

"Yes, yes, completely. I trust you, please touch me. Please…" She cried out when something cold and wet stroked her clit. The sensation had her confused. She was expecting the warmth of his tongue. The cold and wet brushed against her inner thigh now and she finally placed what it was. An ice cube.

He stroked her pussy again with the ice cube, her nub clenched and her hips jerked.

"I wonder if I could make you come like this." He said softly and stroked her with the ice again.

"I don't know, it feels good…but it's so cold…"

The bed squeaked as he got up. 'Where was he going now?' She thought. "No, please." She started to protest.

His lips brushed against hers. They were cold and wet, from the ice. Her body writhed, her not so subtle cue that she wanted him, on top on her, inside her, fucking her until she collapsed from sheer exhaustion.

He kissed her jaw, then trailed his tongue to her earlobe and suckled. He then whispered to her. "Do you love me?"

"You know I love everything that you do to me." She quickly replied, and that was the absolute truth. She craved this man's touch in a way she wasn't sure was healthy. "Even if you make me wait for it."

The cube of ice circled her nipple and her flesh tightened instantly. A moment later she felt the flick of his hot tongue. Just a flick though, not nearly enough. She arched her back pushing her breasts forward.

"Do you love me?" He repeated.

Slowly she lowered her back. 'He _is _different today.' She thought. She didn't know why he was suddenly asking her about love, knowing her situation. Knowing the circumstances under which they'd come together.

"I know you love this." He began stroking her clit with his thumb, back and forth…back and forth.

"Mmm…yes…I love that." She began to pant, close to the edge of release. "I can never get enough of your hands on me."

"What about my tongue?" He adjusted his body between her legs and she bit down on her bottom lip in anticipation. The moment his tongue came down on her, her hips bucked and she started to whimper.

"Ohhh…mmph, I love your tongue. I can't get enough of it, ooohhh."

He suckled her until she was crying from the pleasure and on the verge of exploding he then pulled back, denying her need for release.

"No, no…please." She begged. "I need you, _please_ I need–"

"Do you love me?" He asked again.

"Yes!" She cried out. "I love you. I love you."

"Oh honey, I love you too." Hastily he untied her legs and hooked them over his shoulders and began to devour her. He sucked, he nibbled, buried his tongue inside her. He ate greedily as though her pussy was the last meal he would ever have.

Her whole body convulsed as her orgasm gripped her, gripped her harder than anything she'd ever experienced before. It zapped her of her energy, stole her breath. Left her shuddering as though a speeding train had just rocketed through her body.

Even through her pleasure, she was aware that something had changed between them.

She just wasn't sure it was for the better.

* * *

BlueMoon Goddess: Well what do you think of the prologue? I was actually going to make this a chapter and make it longer but I decided against it. Gotta keep you wanting more. Since this doesn't really give much detail (though technically it does in a sense you have an idea on what's going to happen in the future), I might put up another chapter next week to get things going. So look out for the next chapter, until then! ^_^

BlueMoon Goddess: So what do you think? Like it, love it, trash it (hopefully that's not the case). But hey it's only the first chapter so of course nothing big is gonna happen yet You gotta stick around for the future chapters to come until the good stuff happens, so until next time guys! ^_^


	2. Chapter 1

BlueMoon Goddess: It's only been a few days, but I decided to update the next chapter early to hopefully get more views. I'm happy though some people are feeling the story so far, and I realize with the prologue that some weren't probably so sure of it. But anyway, this chapter shows some of the drama already and one of the points of the fic. Also, I changed the title of the fic because I didn't think it stuck out to me much anymore. But anyway, let's get on with the chapter, shall we?

Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew or its character's they all belong to Mia Ikumi and Reiko Yoshida. Also, all credit for the plot goes to Kayla Perrin's book 'Obsession' since this is where the story comes from.

Summary: After Aoyama confesses to an affair, Ichigo's anger leaves her livid and heartbroken, unable to process his attempt to repair the damage by suggesting she have a tryst of her own. Soon though, with a bit of encouraging from her friends, the idea of sex as retaliation begins to intrigue her, and it just might be what she needs before she can forgive Aoyama. And hooking up with Kisshu who's willing to push the limits of Ichigo's needs fits perfectly. Ichigo's greediness for Kisshu was always about experiencing intensity in the moment, but soon the affair runs its course and now it's time for her to focus on her future…with Aoyama. Except Kisshu is convinced he can't live without her. And one way or another he **will** have Ichigo, even if it means exacting revenge of his own.

* * *

_Two months earlier_

Ichigo awoke to the sounds of some moans of pleasure and a headboard slamming up against the wall from the other room.

For several moments she lay on her bed, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. Her right temple throbbed. Evidence of too many drinks that evening and a general lack of sleep over the past few days. Yawning, she rolled over and glanced at the bedside clock.

Three-thirteen in the morning.

"_Right there…yes, right there, ohhh…."_

Despite her headache she couldn't help but giggle. Maybe the couple thought everyone on this floor was dead to the world and therefore didn't think they needed to be quiet. Or maybe they just didn't give a shit. All Ichigo knew, as she laid there, was that some couple were screwing like this was their last night on earth, if the loud moans and screams coming from the other room were any indication.

"_Yes, yes! Fuck me baby!" _Ichigo heard a woman's voice screamed.

She hugged her pillow and closed her eyes, but knew she wouldn't be getting back to sleep anytime soon. Not with the sexual marathon going on in the next room. She heard a consistent banging on the wall, likely the headboard. At least she hoped it wasn't someone's body part hitting the wall. And how thin were the walls anyway, that she could hear their every grunt and groan.

Ichigo debated getting out of bed and going to the suite next to hers, but the last thing she wanted to do was to embarrass herself by doing such a thing and embarrassing the couple. So she stayed where she was, keeping her eyes closed and hoping she'd somehow be able to get back to sleep.

A loud crash in the next room had her bolting upright, alarm shooting through her. What the…

Laughter.

She lay back down. Whatever happened, the couple weren't concerned. The sounds of their lovemaking picked up right where they'd left off. The moaning and groaning and occasional giggles had Ichigo suddenly missing her boyfriend. Missing him period and the way they used to be in the beginning when they finally took their relationship to the next level.

It had been four whole days since she'd seen him, since she'd left on this trip with her two good friends Moe and Miwa, to go to the resort in Okinawa. It was the start of their summer break from college and Moe suggested a getaway to kick off the break. And it's been a blast since they got here. The three of them had had a fun four days of partying and shopping.

Still she couldn't help but listen to the couple in the next room and help feeling slightly envious. What she heard coming from the next room was exactly the kind of sex she wanted to be having with her boyfriend. After seven years of being together, Aoyama and her had fallen into a bit of a routine. Sex on Saturday nights, sometimes Sunday mornings as well. It was a good week if they also got in a mid-week fuck.

At the beginning of their relationship, they used to go on lots of romantic outings. And after she turned fifteen and he sixteen, they stared having sex and on certain weekend trips the two would screw like rabbits. With both of them now in college with heavy homework and him working part-time, that kind of spontaneity was impossible. But she still adored Aoyama and he adored her. He could still look at her from across a room and make her body tingle the way he first had years ago when they first met.

She suddenly wanted to talk to him. Call him just to hear his voice and maybe get him in the mood to give her the kind of homecoming she was craving. Yes, it was after three in the morning, but that's what spontaneous was, not worrying about the time nor the place.

Ichigo reached for her cell and started to punch in the number to the home they shared in Tokyo then laid back on her pillow as she waited for Aoyama to pick up. Her lips were slightly parted, poised to say she missed him the moment he answered the phone. But after four rings, it went to voice mail.

Disappointed, she sighed softly. She debated hanging up and calling him back, on his cell phone this time. She wanted to tell him how much she wanted to touch him, stroke him. How badly she wanted to be with him right now. And while she was it, ask if he would take a train and meet her here.

Spontaneity and all that.

But common sense got the better of her when the beep sounded and she heard both their voices prompting to leave a message. It was the middle of the night and even though she was desperate to talk to him, she couldn't call him back. It wouldn't be fair to him. He had to be up for work in the morning, besides she'd be seeing him in less than twenty-four hours.

* * *

Though Ichigo didn't think she would, sometime during the night she drifted off to sleep. She awoke with a start from banging on her room door. She got up and made her way over to the door and opened it to see Moe and Miwa standing there fully awake, ready to start the day.

"Morning sleepyhead." Moe crooned happily.

Ichigo took a moment to register that her friends were really at her door, that this wasn't a dream. She could smell the fresh scent of some sort of floral lotion from one of them. 'Yep they're definitely here.' She thought.

They both looked surprisingly well rested. Well they obviously didn't hear the noises coming from the room next door to hers, which was weird seeing as how their room is right across the hall from Ichigo's. She opted to get a single room to herself while Moe and Miwa decided to share a room.

"You'd still be sleeping too if you were woken up by the sounds of people having sex."

"I didn't hear anything." Moe said surprised.

"Me neither." Miwa chimed in.

"You've got to be kidding me, how could you two not hear it?"

"Probably because we're heavy sleepers unlike you Ichigo." Moe said.

Ichigo stretched, a yawn escaping her throat. "Well, I'm gonna go take a quick shower. I'll meet you guys downstairs for breakfast."

"Ok, we'll be waiting." Moe said, as Ichigo then closed her room door and made her way towards the bathroom.

* * *

It was a little after nine in the evening when Ichigo arrived back at the apartment her and Aoyama shared in Tokyo. His car was there in the parking lot, as she'd expected on a Sunday evening, and excited, sprinted inside. She wanted to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him until they ended up making out on the living room floor.

She was hoping he would have seen her outside and be waiting for her at the door. But he wasn't. However Kite, their orange and white tabby was. She purred in greeting and she bent to give her a quick rub on the head before making her way into the living room. Kite followed her, clearly needing more attention. But right now she needed Aoyama.

He wasn't in the living room.

'Hadn't he heard me?' Ichigo thought. 'He has to be somewhere in this apartment, so why hasn't he come out to welcome me home?' They hadn't seen each other in five days, maybe it was a little corny but she expected him to stop whatever he was doing and rush out to meet her, sweep her in his arms and not let her go until they were both sighing in pleasure.

"Aoyama." She called out.

She didn't get a reply back.

"Masaya." She called again. She figured he probably wasn't responding because she called him by his last name. When they first started going on little dates when she was twelve, she always addressed him by his last name. However after they officially became a couple, he insisted he call her by his first name and she agreed. Though at times she still calls him by his last name and he doesn't seem to mind the little slips.

"Masaya?" When he still didn't answer she frowned. Tonight she wanted spontaneity, and creativity. And lovemaking all night long.

Ichigo wondered into the bedroom, where she found him lying on the bed. Her frown morphed into a small smile as she regarded him. He was on his back, his lips slightly parted as he snored softly.

"Oh darling." She said softly. "At least you're getting your rest, so you should be in full form when I wake you up."

The cat rubbed her body against her legs, purring. Ichigo bent down and scooped the cat up then put her out the door and closed it. "Sorry Kite, but I want no spectators for this."

She padded across the room to the bed and eased her body down beside his. He didn't stir. She stretched out beside him and planted her lips on his.

Aoyama jerked awake, his eyes widening as he saw her.

She giggled. "Hi."

"Hi." He said his voice hoarse then cleared his throat.

"Looks like someone had a hard day." She commented. Ichigo placed her palm on his stomach and kissed his chin. "But hopefully your little nap helped you regain some energy."

"What time is it?"

"A little after nine." She replied. Now, she kissed his lips.

"How was your trip?"

"Fun, Moe and Miwa definitely had a good time." She smiled inwardly, remembering just how a good time. "The trip was just what we needed to start off the summer."

"That's good, Ichigo."

'Good?' She thought. 'Why wasn't Aoyama taking me in his arms and really kissing me?' She then shrugged inwardly. 'Guess he's still groggy. But I'm determined to wake him up!' Lowering her hand to his groin, she stroked him through his pants. Then she pressed her mouth against his and kissed him deeply.

His member hardened and she purred in delight, satisfaction. Feeling a surge of feminine power, Ichigo eased her body onto his and straddled him. His hands went to her breasts, gently squeezing. She gyrated herself against him, feeling his cock through her shorts. She moved her mouth from his, to his jaw, then to his earlobe, where she nibbled gently.

"I missed you last night." She whispered.

Aoyama snaked his hands around her waist. "You did, did you?"

"Mmm-hmm." Ichigo pulled her head back to face him. "I even called but you didn't answer."

Aoyama's hands stilled and he looked at her as if he wasn't sure he heard her correctly. "You called last night?"

"Yea."

"What time?" He asked.

"Late." Ichigo answered. "But either you were sleeping or you were out on the town partying." She chuckled lightly.

She was joking, since being with him, he wasn't the type who would go to a club and spend his time at a wild party. But the quizzical look he was giving her told her that he didn't think she was. "I guess I was extra tired. It's been crazy at work with that convention going on. I ended up going in yesterday, since you weren't here."

Ichigo slipped her hand between their bodies. His cock was no longer hard. "Hey, what's the matter? Aren't you happy to see me?" She pouted.

"Of course I am." Was she imaging it, or did he sound a tad defensive?

"Then why is it taking you so long to touch me?" With her legs straddling him, Ichigo sat up and pulled her blouse over her head. She made quick work unfastening her bra. "Touch me, Masaya. Touch my breasts…I want you to fuck me so hard you blow my back out."

"Ichigo." Aoyama said his tone disapproving.

"Sorry." She said. Aoyama didn't like it when she cursed. "I just missed you and you're playing really hard to get right now."

Aoyama regarded her warily.

"Masaya please don't tell me you're too tired for this." She began stroking him again. "I can do all the work. I just need you to be hard."

"What exactly happened on your trip?" He asked.

"Meaning?"

"I don't know. You seem unusually horny."

Now Ichigo sat up and looked at him with a perplexed expression. She expected to hear this from her friends since they would always joke around with her saying that she turned into one hell of a horn-ball since she and Aoyama started having sex. Even her friend Mint would sometimes make fun of her because of it. Though hearing this from Masaya and the tone he was using on her… "Meaning there's some crazy reason why I want to make love to my boyfriend?"

Aoyama's shoulders moved in a slight shrug.

What the hell was going on here? "Do you think I did something wrong while I was away?"

"I didn't say that." He said.

'He couldn't have sounded less convincing.' Ichigo thought. He'd never been the jealous or possessive type throughout their years together. And quite frankly she never given him a reason not to trust her, since she only ever had eyes for him. So she had no clue what was going on here.

"To set the record straight." She began slowly, sliding off his body. "I didn't do a single thing you'd be mad at me for. Yeah I had a lot to drink, stayed up late and danced like nobody's business, but every guy who talked to me knew that I was taken."

Aoyama gave no indication that he'd heard her. Instead he got off the bed and walked out of the room, leaving her confused.

'Did he not believe me or is he simply itching for a fight?' If that was the case, Ichigo thought, why was he mad? Because she'd gone away with Moe and Miwa? He hadn't expressed any opposition to her going on the five day trip.

She didn't follow him. If he wanted a fight, she wasn't going to give it to him. She put her shirt back on, knowing that for some crazy reason she wasn't getting any loving from her boyfriend tonight.

The bedroom door now open, Kite trotted into the room, determined to get some affection from her. She jumped up onto her lap, and Ichigo began to massage her neck, taking some comfort from the fact that her pet would always be happy to see her.

A few minutes later, Aoyama returned to the bedroom door. He stood there, resting his body against the door frame, looking conflicted.

"Are you mad at me because I went on this trip with Moe and Miwa?" She asked, getting to the point.

He drew in a deep breath then let it out slowly. "Something happened." He simply said.

So work was bothering him. It wouldn't be the first time that the stress from work continued to bother him when he got home. She was disappointed that his seeing her hadn't pushed any work issues from his mind, but it was a relief to know that he didn't believe she'd done anything to hurt him.

"Is it something serious?"

He nodded.

She didn't know why but she got a sense that this something wasn't a run-of-the-mill work issue. Maybe Aoyama had messed something up at his job in a big way and the head office was pissed with him. Or perhaps he was involved in a conflict with someone on his work team. It wouldn't be the first time.

"It's okay." She told him. "Whatever it is, you can tell me."

He stared into her chocolate eyes then looked away, his face filled with angst.

"Masaya….you know I'll support you no matter what."

"I'm not so sure about that."

'Just how bad was this?' She frowned at him. Kite rolled onto her back, giving Ichigo access to her furry belly while she luxuriated in the attention Ichigo was giving him. "Why would you say that? Haven't I always been there for you?"

When he didn't answer, a chill crept down her spine, leaving a feeling of dread in its wake. It wasn't like Aoyama to not get right to the point. Something really awful must've happened. Her heart began to beat fast, several devastating scenarios jumping into her head. Had something happened to his parents? Had he gotten some awful news about his health from his doctor while she'd been away? Had he hit someone while driving?

Aoyama sighed heavily. He was taking his time, gearing up to tell Ichigo the awful news but she didn't think her heart could take it.

"Please Masaya, just tell me!"

"You know I love you, right?"

"Yes, I know that." She replied somewhat anxiously. "But I want to know what happened."

He couldn't look at her, making her fear worse. Her eyes misted. Obviously, what happened had been serious enough that he hadn't wanted to disturb her while she was on her trip?

She croaked. "Did someone die?"

"No."

"No?" A relieved giggle escaped her throat. "Thank God, Masaya." She paused, took a deep breath. "But something serious _did _happen, didn't it?" Maybe he had gotten some awful news from his doctor.

"I…"

Ichigo waited, listened. "What?"

"I never wanted to hurt you."

Those weren't the words she'd expected to hear and they caught her off guard. Like biting into an apple and finding it's filled with mold.

Ichigo gave him an odd look. "I don't understand."

"I…I did something…something I'm not proud of."

This had to be work related, some major screw-up that had the head offices breathing down his neck. Oh god, maybe he'd been fired! Even though Aoyama was still in college and working part-time during the school year, but took on full-time hours doing the breaks, he was assistant manager in this office in downtown Tokyo and the job had its share of stress. The people at the head office didn't always agree with how he and his team ran things on his floor.

But surely whatever he'd done wasn't bad enough to get him fired.

"God, this is so…" Aoyama didn't finish his statement.

"So what?" Ichigo prompted.

"I had an affair." He blurted so quickly that Ichigo was certain she hadn't heard him correctly. After all, the cat's purring was so loud she could've misunderstood.

"What did you say?" She asked for confirmation, expecting him to say something else, confirming for her that she'd misheard.

He looked at her now. "I had an affair."

Stunned, Ichigo lowered the cat to the floor. As if it sensed the sudden tension in the room, Kite ran out the bedroom door.

"You…" She couldn't repeat what he'd said.

"I'm so sorry." He told her. He stepped into the room and closed the door. "I never meant to hurt you."

All Ichigo could do was stare at him. It was as though he had morphed into a stranger in front of her eyes.

"Please Ichigo, say something."

This wasn't happening to her…this couldn't possibly be real. It was all just some crazy dream, no a nightmare.

Aoyama walked toward her. Slowly as if trying to corner a scared dog. She didn't say a word, couldn't, she was too numb. But when he reached for her, she reacted instinctively, slapping his hand away. "Don't touch me." She suddenly heard the ragged breaths coming from her chest. She sounded awful. "Don't you ever touch me again."

"This is the hardest thing I've ever had to do–"

"Shut up. Just shut up!" Ichigo covered her ears with her hands. She wanted to block his words, as though not hearing them would make what he'd said go away.

Her hands still over her ears, she stared at him, her eyes imploring him to take back what he'd said. He held her gaze, but only for a few seconds. Then he looked down.

"Oh my god." She shot to her feet. "Oh, my god!"

"Ichigo–"

Gasping, she stumbled past him. She wanted to run out of the apartment they shared, escape to a place where Aoyama's words wouldn't hurt her. But as she got into the living room, her knees buckled and she was lucky to collapse onto the sofa as opposed to the floor.

'An affair…my boyfriend had had an affair?' Ichigo thought, still not believing it. Aoyama, the guy she'd known since she was twelve years old and started dating when she was thirteen. The one who gave her a bell choker as a gift showing his first sign of affection. The same guy who told her that held her in the rain on one of their dates and confessed his love to her. And the guy who'd given her a silver band in a bouquet of lilies and told her that even though he wasn't really proposing, he wanted her to know that one day he would and that the ring was a promise. Hell he even had one that matched hers and they both still wear them to this day as if they were actual wedding rings.

If there had been anyone she could count on, anyone who she thought she could completely trust not to betray her in this way, it was Aoyama.

Ichigo's eyes filled with tears. 'Why…why…why? Why would he do this to me? How _could _he?!'

It wasn't like she rolled over in bed at night and complained of being too tired to make love. If anything, she wanted it more than he did. He wasn't aggressive when it came to sex, though in the beginning when they started doing it he wasn't either, he really hadn't been the tear-your-clothes-off kind of guy in the first place. That kind of man didn't look for sex on the side when he had a girlfriend ready and happy to please him.

No, what mattered to Aoyama, or so he'd always said, was their commitment to each other. Passion could wane, but he'd assured her that their love would always be strong.

"Ichigo." He spoke softly, and she whipped her head up to see he was standing near the end of the sofa.

Seeing him standing there with a pained expression on his face was all it took for her confusion to turn into anger. He dared to look pained? After _he _had betrayed _her_?

"What do you want, a medal? You think because you had the guts to confess that I'm supposed to forgive you for messing around?"

"No." He said softly. "That's not what I expect."

"Then what the fuck do you want?" She was pissed and didn't give a flying fuck if her foul mouth offended him.

Aoyama shrugged. "I wanted you to know."

"Aren't you just the epitome of honor…go to hell." She got to her feet and marched to the bedroom. But as soon as she was in there, she whirled around. Ichigo wanted answers from the man she'd given her heart, body and soul to. The man who promised to be faithful to and love her forever.

No…she _deserved_ answers.

Ichigo was fuming, her nostrils flaring with each angry breath she took. "You had slept with someone else, tell my why?"

He said nothing.

"Tell me why goddammit! Wasn't I good enough for you? God knows you always acted like sex wasn't the be-all and end-all, so why the hell would you end up in someone else's bed?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?" She gasped. "What…were you abducted by aliens who removed your brain?"

Aoyama said nothing.

"Was it a one-night stand?" She demanded. "Some floozy you met out at some store?"

Still he said nothing.

Ichigo's stomach sunk. "Someone you met at your job?"

Aoyama didn't reply.

An awful thought hit her, as painful as if Aoyama had slapped her across the face. "She wasn't a one-night stand…oh, god."

Groaning, Aoyama ran a hand over his face. "It's not like…it's not like it meant anything."

"My god, you're a walking cliché!"

"God, Ichigo. Can we just…can we talk? I know I was wrong, I made a huge mistake."

"I've heard enough shit from you." She was cursing like a sailor, but hell she was angry. And in situations like this, who wouldn't be.

"I'm trying to do the right thing here." Aoyama sounded exasperated. "That's why I told you about it. I wanted you to hear it from me."

Several beats passes. She was so livid, she was shaking. She needed to calm down. Not for his sake, but for hers. She drew in deep breaths, trying to bring herself to a better place. She wondered if she'll ever find a better place again.

"I thought I knew you." Ichigo said. "I thought you loved me."

"You think I don't love you?" Aoyama asked. "That's the reason I'm telling you, because I love you. And I want to make this right."

'Make this right.' Ichigo thought bitterly. 'As if it were so simple, as if what he'd done could be undone.

"Get out." She told him.

He looked stunned. "What?"

"I want you gone, out of my life. Forever, you son of a bitch."

But even as she said the words, she couldn't imagine a life without her beloved Aoyama. Just a few months ago they had talked about getting married. Even though they were both still in college, they figured now was a good a time as ever. They loved each other and didn't want to wait anymore. They devoted the last two years saving up a nest egg, they were ready.

Ichigo drew in another breath and held it until her lungs burned. She didn't want to cry, but damn it…he had destroyed everything. The dam broke on her last bit of self-control and she began to weep. Huge, chest-heaving sobs.

Aoyama gathered her in his arms and though she wanted to, she had no energy to push him away. He held her head against his body and she cried until more tears would come.

He stroked her hair lovingly, as though he were consoling her for an entirely different reason. "This was the last thing I wanted, to hurt you like this."

His words pierced her heart. She took a step backward wiping tears from her face. Somehow she was calm when she asked. "How did you think that cheating wouldn't hurt me?"

"I know, I know, I sound like an idiot. I'm just saying…all I can say is that I'm sorry."

Feeling cold, Ichigo hugged her torso. Though she knew her arms wouldn't keep her warm when the cold was emanating from inside her. "Sorry can't erase something like this."

Aoyama nodded. "I get it."

"Oh, stop giving me that look."

"What look?"

"That wounded look. As if this is hurting you more than it's hurting me."

"I'm hurting too." He said softly.

"I'm sure it's been tough." She retorted, turning away. She couldn't stand looking at him. Looking at him and knowing that the man she loved had betrayed her.

Slowly, she walked toward the wall near the bedroom door. Drained, she leaned against it for support.

Aoyama followed her, but stayed a few steps away from her. "I told you because I wanted to. Because you deserved to know and because I hoped that somewhere in your heart you could find a way to forgive me for being so weak and breaking your heart. I messed up… I was stupid to do this to you. But this doesn't have to be the end of our relationship."

"Wow, thanks for the heartfelt, unbiased advice you asshole. Don't you dare tell me how I should feel and what I should do, because I'm going to decide what happens next. You don't get to have an affair and still make the decisions about our future. If you cared about our future, you never would've done something so…" Her voice trailed off, she stifled a cry.

Aoyama reached for her. "Ichigo…"

"Forget you, you bastard!" She snapped. The anger was back now, big time. "Now leave. Because I can't stand the sight of you."

* * *

Ichigo didn't ask where Aoyama was going, and quite frankly she didn't care. He could be running straight to his other woman and planning to break up with Ichigo later, it didn't matter. If he wanted that bitch he'd fucked, he could have her.

That's what she told herself. But in her heart she didn't believe her bold words. Ichigo might've wanted to hate Aoyama for turning her world upside down. But a person can't turn their feelings off in an instant. The truth was, she loved him, and that made the pain infinitely more intense. That and the fact that what he'd done had come as an utter shock. She thought that Aoyama and her had a good, happy relationship. And people in happy relationships don't cheat.

Ichigo spent the night alternately crying, fuming and wishing she could start this day over. She'd give anything to be back in Okinawa, hungover and sleep deprived. At least then she'd been sleep deprived because she'd been overdosing on fun.

Now, as sunlight spilled through the blinds signaling morning, she felt nauseous and numb. Her throat was parched and her stomach was lurching. She needed water. Something inside her stomach. But she didn't have energy to even get out of bed.

'Why?' That was question Ichigo asked herself in the moments she wasn't crying or dozing. 'Why would Aoyama do this to me? To us? And he had the nerve to claim that he still wanted to be with me, wanted our relationship. I don't understand.'

Her head hurt from thinking about Aoyama's bombshell, so she closed her eyes. Closed her eyes and willed the pain to dissipate.

She clearly drifted off, because she jolted awake when she thought she heard a sound in her home. Slowly, Ichigo raised her head. 'Was that Kite?'

It had to be. She wasn't in the bedroom with her, which meant she was somewhere else in the apartment. She'd likely knocked something over, but Ichigo couldn't be bothered to get up and check it out. She closed her eyes then whipped them open when she heard the bedroom door open. Now she knew that it wasn't Kite.

'Had Aoyama come back?' She thought curiously.

However it wasn't him when two heads poked through the doorway.

"Retasu, Mint?" She asked, wondering if she might be hallucinating.

Retasu rushed into the room, while Mint slowly made her way in.

"Oh, Ichigo, what's going on?" Retasu asked concerned.

"What are you two doing here?" Ichigo asked her voice hoarse.

Retasu plopped down onto the bed beside Ichigo, while Mint took a seat on a chair in the corner of the bedroom. "Aoyama called and I'm glad he did. My goodness, your eyes are nearly swollen shut."

"Aoyama called you?" Ichigo questioned surprised.

"Yes." Retasu placed her hand on Ichigo's forehead, feeling for a temperature. "You're not that warm, but I've never seen you look this awful before. I should take you to the doctor."

"Aoyama said I was sick?"

"He just said that you might need me." Retasu explained.

"Did he call you too Mint?" Ichigo asked turning towards her. She hasn't said anything so far since she entered her room and even though her and Mint clashed sometimes, she knew that they still cared about each other and would be there for each other no matter what.

"No, Retasu called me and told me that Aoyama called her and said something was up with you. I just came to see if you were alright or not. And from the looks of it, you're not."

"Hmm." Ignoring her answer, Ichigo gripped Retasu's arm for support as she rose to a sitting position. "I need water."

"Of course." Retasu was on her feet in a flash. She left the bedroom and returned within a minute, holding a tall glass filled with ice water.

"Thanks Retasu." Ichigo said, giving her a small smile. She sipped the water then gulped down the entire glass. She'd needed water than she'd thought.

"I'm not sick." Ichigo said her voice still weak.

"Then tell us what's going on?" Retasu voiced concerned.

"Excuse me." She climbed off the bed. "I need to use the bathroom." Ichigo made her way to the bathroom next door to her bedrooms, moving slowly. She knew Retasu and Mint were concerned and confused, but they'd learn the truth soon enough.

When Ichigo saw her reflection in the mirror, she gasped. Mint was right she didn't look alright at all. More like she looked awful! Her hair was a mess, her eyes red and swollen. She wore an expression that was beyond dejected. She looked haunted. Given her physical appearance, including the clothes she'd been wearing from the day before that were now wrinkled, a stranger might look at her and think she'd just survived a rape.

Ichigo relieved herself, then washed her face and drank more water. Her stomach grumbled and for the first time since last night, she felt hunger pangs as opposed to nausea.

Retasu didn't just look concerned as Ichigo walked back into the bedroom, she looked scared. Mint on the other hand didn't show so much concern, but there was a hint of worry in her eyes looking at Ichigo.

"I've got to tell you, I'm starting to freak out here Ichigo." Mint said, finally voicing her concerns.

"Aoyama…" Ichigo paused, swallowed. "Aoyama had an affair."

"What?!" Retasu and Mint asked, aghast.

Ichigo couldn't repeat the words, only nod.

"He's leaving you?" Asked Mint.

Ichigo sank onto the mattress beside Retasu. "He says he still loves me, still wants to be with me."

"What?" Mint was outraged. Her anger helped fuel Ichigo's. She'd spent an entire night depressed over Aoyama's betrayal, but she needed to pull herself together. Aoyama had hurt her enough and wallowing in self-pity was simply going to add to her pain.

"Yeah." Ichigo nodded. "Shocker, huh?"

"Oh, Ichigo. Oh my goodness I'm so sorry." Retasu paused. "Have you eaten anything?" Like that was the answer to her crisis.

"No…not since yesterday afternoon." Which was true, last time she ate was with Moe and Miwa when they had dinner before they arrived back from their trip.

"Let me fix you some food." Retasu suggested.

"Where's Kite?"

"She ran outside when we opened the door." Mint said, standing up from her seat. "Look, the cat's going to be fine. It's you we're worrying about."

Ichigo nodded.

Tugging on her hand, Retasu pulled her up from the bed. "We can understand what you're going through. And me and Mint are going to help you deal with it."

"Thanks guys."

Ichigo walked with the both of them to the kitchen, but Retasu insisted that Ichigo sit in the living room and put her feet up. She did and for lack of anything better to do, she turned on the TV. Nothing good was on so she started flipping through channels. She could see Retasu working in the kitchen, getting the skillet hot to fry eggs, while Mint was already fixing a pot a tea.

Mint then wandered into the living room with two cups of hot tea, handing Ichigo one of them. "Here, this should help you feel better."

"Thanks Mint." With a smile, Ichigo accepted the cup then watched as she took a seat next to her on the couch. She was very glad Mint was here, she was also very happy that Retasu was here as well. Because when they'd shown up, Ichigo was no longer in a cold, dark, depressing place. Friends were what helped keep people sane when they went through heart-wrenching experiences. Without someone to turn to, a person could get lost in their grief and be unable to find their way back to sanity.

While Retasu fried eggs, and Mint sipped at her tea, Ichigo turned back to the TV, resuming her channel surfing. Apparently nothing good was on TV with it being a Monday and all.

"You want to eat in front of the television?" Retasu asked. "Because I can bring out a couple of trays."

"No, no." Ichigo, along with Mint got to their feet and walked across the living room to the kitchen's dinette area. Retasu set a plate of eggs and toast in front of her then took the seat to her right.

"Thanks so much you guys." Ichigo told them. "If you two hadn't shown up, I'd still be in bed, half-comatose."

Mint took another sip of her tea. "Okay Ichigo, now tell us what happened. You got home last night and what, you found evidence of some other woman here or something?"

"No." Ichigo lifted her fork and cut into her egg. "He came right out and told me."

"Nice welcome home present, sheesh."

"I knew something was wrong, but I never would've guessed…" Her voice trailed off, ending on a sigh. Then Ichigo continued, trying to recite the facts without emotion. "He was acting weird. I wanted to make love, but he wasn't into it. Next thing I know, he's all serious, saying he's got to tell me something. I actually thought someone had died." Shaking her head at the memory, Ichigo stuffed some egg into her mouth.

"I'm just surprised Aoyama would do something like this." Retasu said. "He just doesn't seem the type of person who would hurt you like this."

"I was devastated last night." Ichigo went on. She still was, but now she was determined to regain control of her emotions. "Mad at first, then devastated. But you know what, I didn't do this. Aoyama did. I'm not saying it doesn't hurt, but hell, if this is the hand that life has dealt me, I'm going to deal with it and move on."

Mint and Retasu gave her a skeptical look, but who wouldn't blame them for those looks. Before her and Aoyama became official, she used to go on and on about how much she liked him and that she would always have eyes for him and him alone. So of course now at the fact that Ichigo's talking about leaving him and moving on without him is pretty weird to them.

"It's not going to be easy." Ichigo said. "I get that, but you know what, there are other fish in the sea."

She felt emotion welling up inside her again at the thought of a life without Aoyama and she quickly ate more food before she started crying. Clearing she was lying to herself.

"I'm here for you." Retasu said, placing a hand gently over hers.

"Me too." Mint chimed in. "We'll go shopping, heck I'll even go to a lounge or two with you, whatever you need to take your mind off this."

Ichigo nodded. "I know. I mean, I know it'll be hard. I loved Aoyama, I still do. But I can't let this ruin my life."

Retasu nodded. "Did he tell you anything about her?"

"Not much. But it sounds like she wasn't a one-night stand." She took a bite of her whole-wheat toast.

"What an asshole." Retasu muttered then covered a hand over her mouth at her wording with a slight blush of embarrassment. "Sorry, I meant…"

"Don't apologize Retasu, you're right. He is being one and I can't believe he told you this, expecting you'd just forgive him." Mint said. "A little bit of advice, and I know it's early, and I'm not trying to tell you what to do, but you forgive a guy when he cheats and there's nothing to say he won't do it again. In fact, it's almost like they see your forgiveness as a sign to do it again."

'Would Aoyama be that way? I couldn't imagine. Then again never imagined he'd ever cheat.' Ichigo thought slightly. He'd seemed too grounded, too controlled…too stable to do something like that.

"I don't know what I'm going to do." She admitted. "Part of me hates him, and yet a part of me loves him."

"You'll figure it out Ichigo." Retasu said.

"Yea, but you don't have to do it today." Mint added.

"How about we go to the mall for some retail therapy. And we can take in a movie as well. That new film you wanted to see is out now." Retasu suggested with a smile. "What do you say?"

"Shopping and a movie, how can I argue with that?"

* * *

The retail therapy was fun, netting Ichigo a new pair of shoes and a black dress she promised to wear out on the weekend with one of her friends. But the movie was like two painkillers, easing her heartache for the two hours of nothing but comedy to chase her blues away. They had pulled back into the parking lot shortly after five.

"Call either of us if you need us, no matter what." Retasu said.

"You guys spent the whole day babysitting me." Ichigo protested.

"And we'll come right back if you realize that being in the apartment alone is too much for you to deal with."

"Retasu will come back, I might be busy." Mint said, though Ichigo knew deep down she'd be there in a heartbeat as well.

"Fine, the moment I'm tempted to curl into a ball on the bed, I'll call either one of you." Ichigo assured them with a smile.

For the first hour or so after Retasu and Mint left, Ichigo was perfectly fine. She was able to put her hurt on the back burner and make a simple meal. Okay so maybe she just ordered a pizza since she wasn't really the best cook. She ate at the kitchen table with the sounds of upbeat J-Pop blaring from her stereo. She didn't want to play anything soft and mellow because alone with her thoughts, soft and mellow would remind her of the pain she was managing to keep under control.

Kite sat beside her chair on the floor, looking up at her with dark pleading eyes. She didn't normally feed her from the table so as not to spoil her, but Ichigo dropped her a piece of sausage nonetheless. What the hell, she was in no mood to obey the rules when her boyfriend had broken the most important one.

Every so often as Ichigo ate, she glanced at the phone. The red light was flashing, meaning there was at least one message.

'Aoyama.' She thought.

Ichigo waited until she'd finished her food and had washed her dish before finally placing the phone to her ear and punched in the code to retrieve the messages. And when she did, her heart faltered at the sound of Aoyama's voice.

"_Ichigo, it's me. I'm checking in on your doing hoping you're okay. Call me, please. Let me know."_

She erased the message and hung up the phone. The food she'd just eaten turned in her stomach. Did Aoyama think she'd spend one night crying, wake up refreshed and be ready to forgive him?

"Don't think about him." She told herself. And she certainly wasn't going to call him back.

Ichigo found herself walking to the spare bedroom and digging her easel and art supplies out of the closet. It was a hobby that gave her comfort, but one she didn't indulge in all that much anymore. Definitely not in the past few months. Hell the last time she painted was in high school for art class, since she started college last year she didn't even take any art classes. Whenever she decided to create a picture, whether it be at home or at school, Aoyama complained that the smell of the paint bothered him, especially when it got on her clothes. As she stared at the dusty easel and paint-covered sheets, she had to admit to herself that she painted far less these days. Because it bothered Aoyama, not because she didn't care for her longtime hobby.

'Well Aoyama isn't here anymore.' She then set to work. Two hours later, she had an abstract painting with angry strokes of red and black in the center and muted yellows, browns and oranges around the edges. She'd used a large piece of paper rather than a cloth canvas, but she smiled as she stared at the painting as though she'd created a masterpiece.

Though the paper was still wet, Ichigo took it straight to the living room and taped it over the large photo on the wall of her and Aoyama in the park. Then she gathered the various framed photos of them off the tables, carried then to the spare bedroom and deposited them in a large dresser drawer.

"If only it were so easy to erase the memory of what he'd done."

* * *

BlueMoon Goddess: And that's the end of the first chapter! Whoa, this took awhile to write, and with twenty pages (on word) no less. So hopefully this will leave you guys satisfied until I update the next chapter. So until next time guys! ^_^


	3. Chapter 2

BlueMoon Goddess: At first I was worried that I wouldn't be able to pull this story off, since I never tried my hand at Tokyo Mew Mew. But I'm glad to see people are feeling this story and that makes me SO happy! So let's go ahead and jump into the chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew or its character's they all belong to Mia Ikumi and Reiko Yoshida. Also, all credit for the plot goes to Kayla Perrin's book 'Obsession' since this is where the story comes from.

Summary: After Aoyama confesses to an affair, Ichigo's anger leaves her livid and heartbroken, unable to process his attempt to repair the damage by suggesting she have a tryst of her own. Soon though, with a bit of encouraging from her friends, the idea of sex as retaliation begins to intrigue her, and it just might be what she needs before she can forgive Aoyama. And hooking up with Kisshu who's willing to push the limits of Ichigo's needs fits perfectly. Ichigo's greediness for Kisshu was always about experiencing intensity in the moment, but soon the affair runs its course and now it's time for her to focus on her future…with Aoyama. Except Kisshu is convinced he can't live without her. And one way or another he **will** have Ichigo, even if it means exacting revenge of his own.

* * *

Someone was stroking her calves.

Soft, flirty, circular strokes on her skin.

But who…? Confused, Ichigo opened her eyes and turned onto her back. In the darkened room, she could see his form at the foot of the bed, but she couldn't see his face. Yet his touch was familiar and she didn't pull away.

The mattress squeaked as he eased onto it. His hands moved slowly up her legs, the tips of his fingers giving each part of her body they touched an electrical charge. He added his lips, pressing them to her knee. Then higher on her thigh.

She wanted to protest, but the words wouldn't come. Not when the sensation flooding her body felt so good. His mouth reached the apex of her thighs. So did his fingers. He fondled her pussy, spread her folds, curled his fingers around her hips and buried his face in her center.

Ichigo's eyelids fluttered. As he licked and sucked her pussy, she gripped fistfuls of the bedspread. She arched her hips, started to scream.

Suddenly his lips were gone…his fingers were gone….he was gone. No...he was still here. Soft suckling sounds still filled the bedroom. And moans…a woman's moans. And then Ichigo saw them. Aoyama and a woman, beside her on the bed. The woman's breasts jiggled as she writhed around. Her mouth formed a wide _O_, her pleasure intense. Her legs were over his shoulders and he was eating her out, slurping and groaning, loving every taste of her.

Ichigo's eyes ventured to the other woman's toes. Though the room was dark, the red nail polish glistened. Her gaze traveled the length of her body, from her arched feet to her bucking hips to her jiggling breasts. To the perfect _O_ formed on her lips.

The woman's eyes flew open then, meeting Ichigo's. She smiled.

Ichigo bolted upright, a cry escaping her throat. But then the other woman was gone. Disoriented, her eyes flew around the rest of the room. She was alone. Alone in her bed, her heart beating fast. Her ragged breathing was the only sound in the still of the dark room.

Her hands went to her throat. She was flushed.

She'd been dreaming.

Exhaling slowly, she lay back down. She tried to get her heart to settle, but the dream had been so real to her. And startling.

For the next hour, she couldn't sleep. The images from the dream haunted her. Aoyama pleasuring another woman with his tongue, the expression of pure bliss on the other woman's face. Ichigo knew it was a dream, but the very nature of it disturbed her. Had her wondering exactly what Aoyama had done with this other woman. How he'd touched her. If he'd tasted her. The sounds she'd made while coming. The sounds he'd made. If their connection was more electric than theirs. She needed to know.

She didn't think she'd want to know, but as she lay in bed in the dark, Ichigo realized there would be many nights like this. Nights when Aoyama and this other woman came into her bed, the visions of what they could've done torturing her as surely as if she were witnessing their affair. Her imagination would be infinitely worse than knowing the truth.

* * *

And that was what fueled her the next morning, got her out of bed early, showered, got dressed and made her way to the office Aoyama worked in downtown. Only to discover that he wasn't even there.

"What do you mean he's not here?" Ichigo asked Jin, the assistant manager.

"He's with the lawyers." Jin replied looking confused, his tone saying he thought she knew this already.

"The lawyers?"

"Well, yes." He suddenly looked uncomfortable.

"What lawyers?" She repeated.

A muscle in Jin's jaw flinched. "I thought you…" He paused. "You need to talk to Aoyama about this?"

"About what?" She asked anxiously, her stomach churning. So something bad was going on at work, something worse than the affair. Why hadn't he told her?

Jin held up both hands, the only response he gave her. Then he walked behind the office lobby's front desk counter and spoke to a young employee. She was blond, just like in her dreams.

Ichigo turned away, noticed Ai, the pretty secretary of floors. She grinned her way, but Ichigo couldn't reciprocate.

Had Aoyama slept with her?

Ichigo turned again. Saw another pretty woman. Was Aoyama sleeping with her on the side? The thoughts going through her mind were making her crazy and unable to deal with them. She all but ran toward the front door. Once outside, she leaned against the brick wall of the building and gulped in humid air.

'Lawyers, what was going on?' Ichigo thought. 'And why hadn't Aoyama told me about it?' She dug her cell phone out of her purse and dialed his cell. It went straight to voicemail, meaning it was on silent.

"Aoy…Masaya." After the tone beeped. "I'm at the office. I came to see you, but you aren't here. I heard that you're meeting with lawyers?" Her statement turned into a question. "What's going on?" As she hung up, she found she was worried. Worried about Aoyama and if the issue he was dealing with was a serious one. It didn't matter that he'd hurt her, her protective feelings for him surfaced, and she hoped he was okay.

Two hours later, when her cell phone rang and saw Aoyama's name on her caller ID, she quickly pressed the talk button. "Hello?"

"Ichigo, hi."

He sounded calm, and that set her heart at ease. She asked. "What's going on?"

"Where are you?"

"I'm at home."

"Good." He said. "Can I come see you?"

"What's happening?"

"I'll tell you everything when I see you, if that's okay."

"All right." Her concern returned. Aoyama might sound calm, but the fact that he didn't want to tell her what was happening on the phone meant that whatever was going on was serious. "Are you coming now?"

"Yes."

She hung up and spent the next twenty minutes worrying. She was in the living room, the cat on her lap and she stroked her as much for her comfort as hers. The moment the front door opened, Kite leapt to the floor. She stood to face him as he walked into the living room.

He looked worn-out. There were dark circles under his eyes and a tired expression on his face.

"Masaya?"

He tossed his keys onto the end table beside the sofa before meeting her gaze. "Hello."

"Why were you meeting with lawyers?" Ichigo asked, getting to the point. She didn't want to be kept in suspense. "Is someone suing the company?"

"Sit, please." Aoyama motioned to the sofa.

She didn't argue, she sat and he sat on the sofa beside her. The light smell of his musky scent wafted into her nose and part of her ached to touch him. She longed for the familiarity of his lips on hers. But his touch wouldn't be familiar anymore, would it? He had tainted what they had when he had messed around with someone else.

"I want you to know." He paused, fiddled with his hands. "It was bad enough telling you about the affair. I felt it was best to wait, give you a chance to deal with that first."

Her stomach twisted at the word _affair_. But she tried to push the awful feeling aside and concentrate on the here and now, the legal issue he was facing. She was sure that some women, learning their boyfriends had cheated, wouldn't care if they got hit by a bus, or if they were stuck with terminal cancer.

Clearly, Ichigo wasn't one of those women.

"There's no other way to say this." He went on. "Someone has threatened a lawsuit against me."

"A lawsuit!" She reached for his hands, took them in hers. It was a reflexive act, but she didn't pull away. "Why?"

He hesitated, lowered his gaze then raised his eyes to meet hers. "She's claiming sexual harassment."

Ichigo narrowed her eyes as she stared at him, not understanding. It took a full five seconds for his words to register through her brain. And when they finally sunk in, she jerked her hands away as though she'd been scalded. It was one thing for him to have met a woman in a bar and fucked her, but someone he worked with…

"You jerk." It was the only thing she could think of to say.

"She's lying, Ichigo. She's the one who came on to me."

She slowly stood. "You damned jerk. What are we talking here, thousands of dollars? Are we going to lose our apartment and the nest egg we started because you couldn't keep your hands off this woman?"

"It wasn't like that." Aoyama said. "If anything, I should be able to charge her with sexual harassment."

She snorted.

He got to his feet, standing in front of her. "She's lying."

"You think that's what matters here, that she's lying? What matters is that you put yourself in this position to jeopardize not just our relationship, but our assets. All because you had to screw someone else."

For several moments, neither of them spoke. The only thing to be heard was their loud, frustrated breathing and the cat's concerned meows.

"So you do work with this woman." Ichigo said.

He nodded.

"How much does she want?"

"She came up with the crazy figure of fifty million, six hundred forty-four thousand six hundred and twenty-six yen." (A/N: That's five hundred thousand in US dollars.)

"Are you serious?" They were both still in college and though both were working, they couldn't afford that much money. Even though he got a high paycheck, the money was used for the rent, their college tuition, books, and other miscellanies they barely had money in their pockets.

"She wanted me to leave you, I wouldn't and I told her it was best she leave and find another job or position on a different floor." Aoyama explained hurriedly. "That's when she claimed sexual harassment."

She shook her head, disgusted. "So we're going to lose everything."

"She hasn't sued…yet. She's threatening to."

"If you don't leave me." She said, as a statement not a question.

"I…I guess." He threw his hands in the air. "I don't know what's going on in her warped mind."

Ichigo turned away from him, rethinking her earlier position on how she'd feel if he got hit by a bus. A million thoughts going through her mind, she wandered toward the window that faced the streets below. "Maybe you should." She began slowly, she turned. "Maybe you should go to her."

"No!" Aoyama protested. "I don't want her!"

"If it will stop her from suing you…" She said the words, but she didn't really mean them.

Aoyama rushed towards her. She didn't move, not even as he placed both hands on her shoulders.

"I don't want her." He repeated. "Yeah, I messed up. I learned my lesson the hardest way possible, but I'm going to make this right."

Ichigo said nothing, she felt only numb.

"I think I know how to make her go away. Make the problem go away. I got some good advice from my lawyers."

She said nothing.

"Say something, Ichigo. Please."

"What do you want from me?"

"I want your forgiveness. I know it won't be today, maybe not tomorrow. But I want to know that at some point in the future, we'll be back to normal."

"I don't know if that's possible."

Aoyama nodded grimly as he lowered his hands from her shoulders.

"I hope she was worth it." Ichigo said softly. Her eyes blurring with tears, she pushed past him to the kitchen. She opened a cupboard, pulled out the first mug she saw, which happened to be one they'd specially made with their photo on it. Before she could place the mug on the counter, Aoyama was there, taking it from her hands.

"I've never wanted anything more than I want your forgiveness." He said. "I know you're angry and you have every right to be. But these past few days without you have been the worst days of my life. I still love you…and I don't want to lose you. I'll do whatever it takes to get you back. If it means we're not together for a few months, so be it, but I need to know I've got a reason to hope."

Ichigo was listening to what he was saying, but at the moment she didn't want to hear it. At first she thought maybe if they spent a few months apart like he was saying that she'll take him back with open arms and just let his indiscretion be in the past. However from the news he just mentioned about the lawsuit against him, her anger just sky-rocketed and right now she didn't want to be around him.

"You need to go now."

"I don't want to leave. Not like this."

"_Now_!"

He stared at her, but her hard expression gave him no cause for hope. Sighing in frustrated, he turned. He made the short walk to the hall table where he'd deposited his keys, scooped them up then walked past her to the front door. The moment the front door clicked shut, she hurled the mug against the fridge, shattering it into a thousand pieces.

* * *

Retasu was cleaning her living room when she heard a knock on her door. When she went to answer it, she was faced with a seemly happy Ichigo. Retasu could tell that her happiness was fake.

"Ichigo…?"

"Aoyama's slut is suing him for fifty million, six hundred forty-four thousand six hundred and twenty-six yen." She said making her way into Retasu's living room, not bothering to greet her now shocked friend over her news.

Retasu closed the door behind her. "What?" She replied shocked. "My god, Ichigo. Aoyama is being sued?"

"No it's fine." She waved her friend off. "I've got it all figured out. Aoyama can go live with her so she doesn't sue him for everything and I can move on with my life." Ichigo then plopped on the sofa in the living room with a big smile on her face. However her bravado crumbled and she burst into tears. Of course her tears from talking to him earlier that wouldn't fall and they now wanted to come to the surface.

Ichigo then told Retasu everything that Aoyama had told her. Retasu got a box of Kleenex off of a nearby counter and put it in front of Ichigo. She pulled out a wad, wiped her eyes and blew her nose.

"I'm sorry you have to go through all of this." Retasu said, sympathetically.

"The good news is, he still loves me and still wants our relationship." She snorted in derision. "Lucky me." Ichigo blew her nose again.

"Can I get you anything?" Retasu asked. "How about some tea? In fact, why don't you stay here and I'll fix you some lunch. I can even call Mint and see if she would like to come over as well."

"Okay." She nodded. "That sounds good."

Retasu first set about making the tea. Then she grabbed the phone off her kitchen wall and dialed Mint's number. Then set about pulling out ingredients to start preparing lunch for the three of them. With a sudden knock on the door, Retasu turned but Ichigo got up and offered to open the door for Mint.

"Hi Ichigo." Mint said, making her way into the house. "Feeling any better today?"

"Things just got worse today Mint." Ichigo replied closing the door as they both made their way towards the dining room table.

"What happened?"

Before Ichigo could respond, Retasu came to set a tray with a teapot and three tea-cups. "You want any sugar Ichigo?"

She shook her head. "Right now, I just want it bland." Retasu simply smiled and headed back into the kitchen to finish cooking. After a few minutes later, she came back into the dining room carrying different bowls of food and going back and forth carrying out more.

"Wow Retasu, you made all of this?" Ichigo gasped in delight.

"It was nothing, so go ahead and help yourselves." Retasu said, sitting down at the table.

"Everything looks delicious Retasu you really did outdid yourself this time." Mint commented. "But seriously Ichigo what happened, you didn't tell me anything yet."

"Aoyama is being sued by the woman he had the affair with for fifty million, six hundred forty-four thousand six hundred and twenty-six yen." Ichigo replied.

"What?" She asked shocked, then got rid of her shock as she reached over to give Ichigo's hand a comforting squeeze. "Ichigo I'm sorry, but you know I'm here and if you need anything I'll be here."

Ichigo smiled softly as she squeezed her hand in return. "Thanks Mint, I swear what would I do without you two?"

"Lucky for us you don't have to find out." Mint replied with a smile then her expression turned wistful. "Look, I know you still love Aoyama. How can you not from the way you used to talk about him in the past. Unfortunately, our hearts don't come with an on/off switch. But Ichigo, you deserve better and with what he's putting you through…I'd be finding a new place to live, like yesterday."

Ichigo nodded, but she only half agreed. What Mint said about her deserving better was true, she knew that. But she was also right about our hearts not having an on/off switch. Life wasn't black and white. Love wasn't black and white. She didn't know if she'd ever stop loving Aoyama. Hell she still does love him even with all the shit she's putting her through. But just because she still loves him didn't mean they had to be together.

"Well I have a suggestion that might work for you guys." Mint suggested.

"And that would be?" Ichigo asked.

"If you had an affair of your own, it might help you guys out. Do what you need to do, then go back to him and move on."

"What? That's crazy!" Ichigo said, aghast at the suggestion. She could never put into consideration what Mint was saying, Aoyama might've had the nerve to have sex with another woman, but Ichigo couldn't think of doing something like that. Hell she couldn't even imagine being intimate with another man that wasn't Aoyama.

"Mint how could you suggest Ichigo do such a thing?" Retasu asked her, surprised herself at her friends suggestion.

"It sounds crazy but hear me out. I'm not saying you should go sleep with some other guy to even the score. But it might be good to see what else is out there." Mint said tentatively. "You've been with Aoyama for seven years. Maybe, just maybe he isn't the man you're supposed to be with for the rest of your life."

Ichigo didn't say anything. She wasn't sure she could contemplate moving on, at least not yet.

"Ichigo." Retasu spoke up for what seemed like forever. "Do you want him to move back in right now?"

"No." Ichigo replied.

"Well do you think your relationship is going to be the same even if you do work things out?" Mint asked this time.

Ichigo shook her head. She couldn't imagine hers and Aoyama's relationship ever being the same. Not after this.

* * *

Three hours later after coming back somewhat better and with a full stomach from Retasu's good cooking, Ichigo made her way into her apartment just as she heard the phone ringing. She rushed into the bedroom to grab the phone off the nightstand before the person on the other end hung up. "Hello?"

There was a pause, then. "Ichigo."

Pain shot through her stomach at the sound of Aoyama's voice. She just got into a happy place since she saw him this morning and now the pain is coming back again just from hearing his voice. "Aoyama." She swallowed, wondering if it would always be like this from now on, pain instead of pleasure where her boyfriend was concerned. "What do you want?"

"I miss you."

"I just saw you this morning."

"I know but still…even being away from you is killing me."

Ichigo's stomach clenched at the statement. "I…I can't do this. It's too hard–"

"I know you need time." Aoyama hurriedly said. "I just wanted to hear your voice Ichigo."

The sound of her name on his lips was bittersweet. This wasn't the way it was supposed to be.

"I also wanted you to know that I'm going to work things out for us. On my end."

"What does that mean?" She asked then wished she hadn't. She didn't want to be having this conversation again right now.

"With…you know. I've got a couple options I'm considering to make the problem go away."

Ichigo's stomach lurched again. She felt sick. "I-I can't hear this right now."

"Okay–"

"No, it's not okay, Masaya. You messed everything up."

"I know that, and I'm–"

She hung up. "Damn you, Masaya." She muttered. As she sat on the bed thinking about his words, anger quickly replaced her feeling of unease. _The problem_, Aoyama had said. _You know_, he'd said. The thing was, she didn't know. Other than telling her he'd had an affair, Aoyama hadn't mentioned the other woman's name.

He'd claimed he wanted their relationship, but in order for anything to work, he had to be completely honest with her. Ichigo shot to her feet and went to the bathroom. She turned on the faucets in the shower, adjusted the temperature then got out of her clothes. She stepped into the shower and let the warm water splash over her face. Keeping her head under the steady stream of water, she held her breath until her lungs started to burn before jerking her head backward and gulping for air.

Tears fell from her eyes, even though she didn't want them to. She then grabbed the bottle of body wash on the rack in the corner of the shower wall and squirted some of the wash into her hands. She ran her palms over her body trying to clean her mind and relax her body. When her hands reached her flat body, she let them rest there. A sorrowful moan caught in her throat as she thought of something. Aoyama and her had planned on starting a family a few years after they got married. They would be done with college and both had talked about the idea for awhile now.

'And yet he'd screwed another woman.' She thought sadly.

Had he taken a shower with her, tweaked her nipples into hardened peaks? Had he slipped soapy hands between her folds and massaged her until she'd come? Ichigo pounded a fist on the shower wall. The images of what Aoyama might have done with this woman were going to drive her crazy. She'd dreamed about him and this faceless woman, and the way he'd possibly touched her. Now she was thinking about it in the shower.

Ichigo would never get past this, not until she had answers.

She'd gone to see him at work this morning, and he hadn't been there. When he'd come to talk to her at home, the news about the possible lawsuit had made her forget about why she'd gone to see him originally. To ask him exactly what he'd done with the woman he'd been screwing. How he'd touched her, how she'd touched him, if he'd fucked her in their bed.

And the bigger issue, just how emotionally involved the two of them had gotten. Though Ichigo didn't want to go back to Aoyama's workplace, she would. Because she needed answers. The kind that had come face-to-face. Looking into Aoyama's eyes, she could tell if he was lying. She certainly didn't want him coming back to the apartment to have this chat. Being in their home would be far too distressing for her. She needed some emotional distance. At least, she hoped distance would help her deal with the truth she needed to hear.

An hour after she showered, she checked the time and saw that it was after six. She figured Aoyama would be off from work by now and instead of heading back to his job, she'd meet him at the hotel he was staying in for now. When Aoyama saw her in the hotel lobby, his face lit up as it had on so many occasions in the past. It broke her heart, seeing his smile. Because something was instantly clear. The future would never be the way the past had been. Even if they got to the point where they were a happy couple again, their future would always be marred by the memory of what he'd done.

'Would I ever be able to forgive him?' She thought. She wasn't really sure she could. But the way his smile tugged on her heartstrings also made it clear that it wouldn't be easy to cut the ties if the time came to live without him.

Aoyama started towards her, the joy in his eyes said he thought she was here for a happier reason. And she didn't know why, but it pissed her off. Yes, she did know why. It pissed her off that he could screw another woman and that only two days after that revelation, he thought she was here to tell him she forgave him. What else could account for that look on his face?

As he reached her, Aoyama put a hand on her arm. "Hello Ichigo."

Her emotions were all over the place. From sad to angry, love to hate. "Tell me what you did with her." She demanded.

"What?"

"You talk about 'the problem,' as though it's some random thing that came into our lives. But it wasn't, you had an affair!"

Aoyama's eyes volleyed around the lobby. He was clearly worried people might be hearing her. Frankly, she didn't give a shit.

"Tell me what you did." Ichigo squeezed her eyes shut as her head throbbed, but after a moment she continued. "Tell me what you did with that woman."

Aoyama gently guided her toward the far corner of the lobby, away from the front desk. "Why does it matter to you so much?" He asked her, once they were away enough to be deemed private.

"It matters." She said. "I didn't think I'd want to hear the details, but now…I need to know, you need to tell me."

"What happened with her was just sex." He whispered then glanced around again.

"What kind of sex?"

"I don't see how this will help."

"Did she suck your cock? Did you eat her out? Did you fuck her in a bed, on the grass, in the backseat of a car?" She couldn't keep the anger from her voice and she knew that anyone within earshot from their little corner would have definitely heard her.

He grabbed her by the arm and whisked her towards the lobby. He didn't stop walking until he reached the elevators and pushed to go up. Once the elevator doors opened, he pulled her inside and pressed the button for the third floor. When it stopped on the floor, he again pulled her out and down the hall until he stopped in front of his room door, pulled out his room key and ushered her inside until they were in the middle of the room.

"What are you doing?" He demanded the moment he shut the door. "You can't just come here and cause a scene like this."

Ichigo gave Aoyama a hard shove and he staggered backward, landing against the papered wall. His eyes widened. She didn't know if he was afraid or surprised.

"Fuck you." She snapped. "I hate you, you hear me? I hate you!" She started for the door, wrapped her fingers around the handle.

"Ichigo, please. Don't leave."

There was a desperate note to his voice and despite herself, she didn't yank the door open and run away. Instead she sighed, her eyelids fluttering shut. Her heart was heavy as she contemplated what to do.

"Fine." He said. "You want to know, I'll tell you. But I don't see how this will help anything."

Ichigo turned. "Maybe it won't help. Maybe it'll make me crazier. But if I'm ever going to move forward, I need to know exactly what happened between you two."

She waited for him to say something, but he didn't. His chest rose with each heavy breath. He looked pained, like this was difficult for him. But it was far more difficult for her.

"Ask me what you want to know."

"All right. What's her name?"

A beat. Then. "Kai."

'Kai.' Ichigo's stomach twisted. "I'll bet she's beautiful."

Aoyama said nothing.

"Is she beautiful?"

"Yes, she's beautiful. But that doesn't mean anything."

"Who came on to whom?" Technically, he had already told her that she had come on to him, but Ichigo wanted to see if he said the same thing again or changed his story.

"She hit on me."

"And you were so flattered you couldn't help dropping your pants." She snorted.

"It wasn't like that."

"What, she put a gun to your head and forced you to have sex with her?"

Aoyama said nothing.

"You bastard, answer the question." But Ichigo could already see luscious lips locked around her lover's hard shaft and the image made her stomach turn. Beautiful Kai would have luscious lips.

"Yes, she did. My god Ichigo–"

"And of course you went down on her." She cut in.

He groaned, dragged a hand over his face. Hot tears immediately filled her eyes and a cry escaped her throat. She'd wanted to get through this talk being angry, anger was better than crying. But knowing her boyfriend had done things with another woman that he hadn't done with her was too much for her to handle.

"Ichigo, please." He took her hand in his. "I told you no good would come of this?"

She jerked away from his touch. She wanted to scream every disgusting name at him that she could think of. Instead she managed a barely audible. "Why?"

"Because I was stupid." Aoyama said. "I don't know."

"No you do know." Her anger returned with a vengeance. "You know exactly why you put some other woman's pussy in your mouth and not mine." He had always said he didn't really care for oral sex, neither giving nor receiving. She hadn't pushed the issue, as everything else about their lovemaking had been extremely satisfying. Yes, their lovemaking had become a bit routine, but they'd still pleased each other. Or so she thought.

"What did she taste like?" She asked.

His eyes bulged. He hadn't expected that question. "Come on Ichigo, you already know I messed up."

She glowered at him. "Did you ever."

"Okay, wrong choice of words. The point is I don't want her, you're the one I love."

"Did you like her pussy?"

He looked dumfounded.

"Is it pretty?" She enunciated her words. "The kind of pussy you couldn't wait to put your fingers in and play with? The kind you couldn't resist licking and sucking?"

"What has gotten into you? Since when do you talk like this?"

"What, I can't talk like this because I'm your sweet little girlfriend? Is that why you wanted to keep our lovemaking simple in the bedroom? Are you one of those guys who can't completely let go with their woman, but if you're with some skank the sky's the limit?"

Anger was flowing through her veins like electric energy, causing her hands to shake. She waited for Aoyama to answer, but her wasn't speaking.

Ichigo went on. "You say she came on to you, but you couldn't wait to touch her, could you? You couldn't wait to get her naked. You loved screwing her." Her voice rising. "You loved the way your dick felt inside her didn't you? _Didn't you_?"

"Yes!" The word seemed to have escaped him against his will, because his eyes widened then he glanced down, uncomfortable. "It was sex Ichigo. Of course I enjoyed it. But like I said–"

"Good." She cut him off. "Then you can go right on screwing her. At least that way she won't sue your ass." She meant her words. She was sick of him. Ichigo could no longer stand the sight of him.

She was about to turn, but he grabbed her by both of her shoulders and forcefully pulled her to him. "I don't want her. I know you won't understand what I'm about to say, but having sex with her proved to me that you're the only one I want. A person can get sex anywhere, but we make love Ichigo. There's a difference, a huge one."

"Really?"

"Yes really."

Anger fueled her actions; she took his hand and placed it on her breast. "You still want me?"

"Of course."

Ichigo squeezed his hand over her breast, but she didn't do it lovingly. She wasn't sure what she was doing really. Something else within her had taken control. "Do you still like touching me?" She asked.

"Of course." Aoyama's breathing changed, got heavier.

Hastily she yanked the bottom of her sundress up with her free hand then dragged his hand towards her core. She honestly didn't know what she was doing, but she couldn't stop herself. Holding his hand over her womanhood, she asked. "Do you want to make love to me right now Masaya?"

He groaned softly. He was getting turned on. Good. She had the asshole right where she wanted him.

"I do." His breathing was ragged now, ripe with lust. "Oh Ichigo…"

She let him kiss her neck, let him slip his fingers into her panties and stroke her. In a strange way, she was turned on, but nothing about what she felt was loving, it was fueled by her rage. Part of Ichigo hated Aoyama for what he'd done to her, and yet another part of her wanted him to strip her naked and fuck her to prove not only that he still loved her, but that he still wanted her sexually. That he found her as desirable as he'd found Kai. But knowing he'd touched another woman this intimately…that he'd sucked her pussy. There was no way she could go through with fucking him, not right now. Maybe not ever. She was about to bring him back to the present, let him know that her desire for him hadn't been genuine.

She kissed his cheek then whispered in his ear. "Is this how you touched her?"

Aoyama's fingers stopped cold.

"What's the matter darling?" Ichigo asked her voice extra syrupy. The vein in his jaw flinched as he took a step backward and she grinned, satisfied with his discomfort. But she wasn't really satisfied, not in her soul.

"How many times did you screw her?" Ichigo asked. "One…two?" She searched his eyes for an answer. "Twenty…fifty?"

He looked away.

As the second of silence ticked by, her stomach dropped.

"Oh my god. She wasn't just some fling. Your relationship was serious." She gripped her stomach. Aoyama had said that Kai had wanted him to leave Ichigo for her, but she'd led herself to believe that the woman had been delusional, that her feelings for Aoyama had been one-sided. But maybe he'd had feelings for her too and Ichigo was the one deluding herself, wanting to believe that he had only been physically attracted to someone else. What if his connection to Kai was greater than that?

"No wander she wants to sue you. Were you going to dump me for her?"

"NO! Of course not."

Her head grew light. She turned away from her bastard of a boyfriend, wondering if she would actually throw up. She drew in several deep breaths, tired to keep herself under control.

"Is she working at your office now? Your Kai? I've never met her so she must be new. Where does she work, on your floor?" When Aoyama didn't respond, she moved to the door. "I guess I'll just have to find out."

He grabbed her, forcefully this time. "Do not go over there looking for Kai."

"Why not? Because you want to protect her? Protect her from your girlfriend?"

"That's not why."

"Tell me the truth Masaya." I'd been trying to maintain control, or at least hold on to my anger, but I could feel that control slipping through my fingers. "Were you going to leave me for her?"

When he didn't immediately answer, Ichigo finally lost control of her emotions. She began to cry, huge, quavering sobs. This time, when Aoyama wrapped her in his arms, she didn't have the strength to pull away.

"I was never going to leave you." He insisted. "Never. But she wanted me to."

"Lucky for her, she might end up with you yet." She managed.

He kissed her temple. "I don't want her."

Several seconds passed and her sobs faded into whimpers. "But what if I don't want you anymore? What if I can't ever forgive you for what you've done?"

Aoyama sighed wearily and eased his head back to look at her face. "We've been together a long time Ichigo. And yeah, maybe I did get bored. Well, not so much bored as curious. I know it's no excuse and I know nothing I say will make this any easier. But I am sorry Ichigo…I was weak." He paused. "But I mean it when I say that my…my affair…made me realize how much I love you and want a life together with you forever."

"Don't you dare act like you did us a favor?" She quipped, her anger returning. She was riding an emotional roller coaster and she wanted to get off. Escape the madness.

"I'm not. I'm saying that…look, I'm not stupid I know it won't be easy for you to forgive me. That's why maybe…maybe you ought to have an affair of your own."

She looked at him like he'd grown a second head. "What?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing now. She already heard this crazy notion from Mint but now Aoyama was suggesting to her that she go out and do the same thing. "You want me to have an affair?"

"I hurt you, maybe in a situation like this you need to hurt me back. Maybe other guys would say I'm nuts for suggesting this, but I've been thinking a lot about this. And I do believe that if we're going to go forward, one of us shouldn't have something to hold over the other's head. I'm not saying I like the idea of you being with another man, but if that's what it'll take for us to be together, then I deserve nothing less. One of my associates from work told me his girlfriend did that after he cheated and they were able to get past everything."

"Someone told you that?"

"Yes."

"Who?" She asked skeptical.

"Jin.

"Jin." She repeated disgusted.

"He said it worked for his relationship." Aoyama said softly.

"What if I told you I already met someone?" She jutted her chin out, defiant.

His eyes narrowed doubtfully. "When?"

"It doesn't matter when."

"Well." She watched as his Adam's apple rise and fall as he swallowed. "I mean what I said. You do what you need to do, then come back to me."

As simple as that. All she had to do was sleep with someone else and that would solve all their problems.

"What if I told you that not only did I meet someone else," She continued slowly. "but that I'm starting to fall for him?"

Something flickered in his eyes, a quick flash of jealousy. "Is that true?"

"You don't get to make the rules Masaya. Be careful what you wish for…you just might get it."

Then knowing that he had to be wondering if she was serious or messing with him, Ichigo headed out of his hotel room and didn't glance backward.

'He wants me to meet someone and have an affair of my own. Then fine, I'll take his advice. Let the bastard get a taste of his own bitter medicine.'

* * *

BlueMoon Goddess: Alrighty now, looks like Ichigo is gonna take Aoyama's advice and find someone to have a fling with. Next chapter we'll see as she goes out and finds the guy who'll fill those shoes. Until next time! ^_^


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew or its character's they all belong to Mia Ikumi and Reiko Yoshida. Also, all credit for the plot goes to Kayla Perrin's book 'Obsession' since this is where the story comes from.

Summary: After Aoyama confesses to an affair, Ichigo's anger leaves her livid and heartbroken, unable to process his attempt to repair the damage by suggesting she have a tryst of her own. Soon though, with a bit of encouraging from her friends, the idea of sex as retaliation begins to intrigue her, and it just might be what she needs before she can forgive Aoyama. And hooking up with Kisshu who's willing to push the limits of Ichigo's needs fits perfectly. Ichigo's greediness for Kisshu was always about experiencing intensity in the moment, but soon the affair runs its course and now it's time for her to focus on her future…with Aoyama. Except Kisshu is convinced he can't live without her. And one way or another he **will** have Ichigo, even if it means exacting revenge of his own.

* * *

As Ichigo, Moe and Miwa were walking down the block later that evening. She couldn't help and think about her words. She was so fired up in deciding about taking Aoyama's suggestion that she called Moe and Miwa and asked if they wanted to go out later tonight for some guy hunting. She had a talk with her friends a day ago and she told them both about what Aoyama had done. Her friends were heartbroken and ready to go beat Aoyama up for the way he treated their dear friend after hearing the news. And once she told them what he said about having an affair of her own, Moe and Miwa thought it was a perfect idea to do so in order to get back at him for what he did. Moe even suggested that they all go out so she could find the 'man of her dreams' to fit her fancy.

Ichigo realized that maybe her friends (except for Retasu who wasn't so keen on the idea) were right. Maybe she needed to see what else was out there, experience being with a new man. The more she mulled the idea over, the more it appealed to her. After all, she'd given Aoyama no reason to cheat. She loved him. She did as much as she could to be the best girlfriend possible. And they got along well, even if the passion of their earlier years had waned. If he'd wanted to recharge that passion, he could've suggested something to her. Anything really. It wasn't as if Aoyama and her couldn't talk. That's what made his cheating even harder to accept. That he wasn't the type of man she expected would betray her before talking to her about a problem.

"Do you think he isn't attracted to me anymore?" Ichigo suddenly asked Moe and Miwa.

They stopped in their tracks. "What?"

"Even though he says he loves me and never thought of leaving me for her. Maybe he wants me decked out in miniskirts and halter tops all the time or something?"

"Now this is just crazy. Why would you end up blaming yourself when your boyfriend was the one who cheated?" Moe stated. "Trust me when I say this Ichigo, you're beautiful, hot and if Aoyama cheated, he's the one with the problem, not you. "

"Very well put Moe." Miwa chimed in. "That's the whole point about seeing what else is out there. Another man, the kind who'd never betray you, might just sweep you off your feet."

"Yea and I mean c'mon. How many people are on the planet? Five billion? At least a few of those guys have to be decent and trustworthy. Oh and hot as hell!" Moe grinned devilishly, as though the last qualification was the most important.

"Of course." Moe continued. "If you decide just to look that's perfectly fine. A little eye candy never hurt anybody."

"If nothing else, I'm going to have a good time tonight. Forget about my problems and enjoy the night with you guys. We always manage to have a blast!"

* * *

They decided to head over to Forty-Five, which was a lounge that played good music and had very good food. However this month they were having live bands on the weekends and they figured they could hear some live music and unwind. Ichigo was dressed to the nines, in a short pink leopard dress that had her back completely exposed and killer black heels that she was turning heads as she stepped into the place. Moe was wearing a short black skirt and low-cut red top with black stilettos and Miwa was wearing a gold tank top that fanned out in the back and stopped above her midsection with white shorts and a pair of gold heels. All of them were looking and feeling good and Ichigo was determined to head out and find a little action, but halted, suddenly unsure.

"Hey." Miwa said in a low voice. "It's okay you don't have to do anything you don't want to do." Knowing Ichigo so well as she did, Miwa clearly picked up on her hesitation. "And there's no guilt if you do chose to go for what you want. If you meet someone you like, think of it as a freebie."

A freebie…it was an odd way to look at having an affair to Ichigo. And yet, Aoyama had given her not only his blessing but his encouragement to go out and even the score.

"Right." Ichigo rolled her shoulders backward to work out some of the tension, then smiled when the hostess appeared and asked if they wanted a table or sit at the bar.

"A table." Moe said. "Close to the stage, if possible."

At seven-thirty, they were seated at a table near the stage. At eight, the band they had for the week began to play. Flip Side, a group of three men in their mid twenties and one woman with long chestnut hair about a year older then the girls, started their first set of songs. By the time they were on their third song, everyone was dancing, clapping or toe tapping. When the female singer announced that there would be an intermission before the next set, Moe touched Ichigo's hand. She looked her way.

"Have you noticed a certain someone checking you out?" She asked.

"No." Ichigo replied and began looking around. She caught the eye of an older guy wink at her. She returned her gaze to Moe. "Who are you talking about?"

"You really have been out of the dating scene too long." She said. "The drummer of the band." Moe went on in a tone that said the answer was obvious.

"The drummer?" Ichigo quickly looked toward the stage.

"Isn't he cute?"

Ichigo checked him out. He was build-y, but not overly so, tall and sported short black hair. "Yes, he's definitely cute. But not really my type."

Moe gasped at her. "What are you talking about? He's smoking hot."

"Yeah…just not my type."

"I don't think he'd agree." Moe said in a singsong voice.

"You're seeing things." Ichigo told Moe. "He didn't check me out once."

"He totally was." Moe insisted. "You should go talk to him. I think he'd make a good one-night stand."

Ichigo glanced toward the stage. There was a flock of women swarming the band. She shook her head at the pitiable sight. All those women hoping to bed a musician and giving them so much attention. She couldn't help it but at the same time remember a time when she was in junior high and all the girls in the school, including herself, would swarm outside the gym just to see Aoyama who was the star athlete on the kendo team. Ichigo shook her head quickly. She wasn't supposed to be thinking about him now. Instead she should be focusing on finding a guy and have a fling.

"Moe, stop worrying about my sex life. I'm having a good time, that's all that matters."

"Oh no-no-no." She waggled a finger at her. "You're gonna meet someone."

Rolling her eyes, Ichigo laughed. "Sure, whatever you say." Her gaze wandered around the lounge. There were some attractive guys in the place, but most of them were with dates. She wasn't against the idea of meeting someone, if a guy here caught her interest. And thinking back to what Mint said earlier in the day. Maybe she had been right. She had been dating Aoyama since she was thirteen and no one else. Until a few days ago, she'd never questioned that decision. But what if his affair was a sign that they'd drifted apart, that they weren't meant to live happily ever after?

What if there was someone else out there for her, the kind of man who would always appreciate her and never mess around? But the thought of being without Aoyama was very hard to contemplate. But it was equally hard to think that she would simply accept what he'd done, forgive him and resume their life as it had been and evening going ahead with future plans. Especially now, would she be setting herself up for future heartache from him if she decided to save her relationship? Would he feel that if she'd forgiven him once, she would do so again…and again?

"I'm ready for another drink." Moe announced, her words pulling Ichigo from her thoughts. "You guys want another drink?"

"Definitely." Ichigo answered quickly. She'd certainly had enough already, but she didn't want to think about Aoyama anymore. Alcohol would help her forget.

As Moe glanced around in search of their waitress, she spotted the older guy who Ichigo saw eying her before. This time, Ichigo noticed that he was with two other friends. Both he and his friends were grinning at her now. A wink from the shorter guy and they started walking their way.

"Warning." Ichigo said. "Creep alert."

"Where?" Miwa asked.

"Don't look!" Ichigo said in an urgent whisper as Miwa started to turn her head. She abruptly halted. "Three guys who have to be in their late thirties, now they're heading this way dammit."

"Wow, they look pretty good for older guys." Miwa muttered. Of course she would say that, Miwa always had a thing for older guys.

"Well they're definitely interested in the three of us." Moe said. She could see them getting closer through her peripheral vision. As they reached their table, she whispered. "It's showtime girls."

"Hello ladies." The shorter man said. He was probably five foot nine, with a tan complexion and a beer gut. He also seemed to have eyes only for Ichigo. "How about a dance?"

"Sorry." Moe said sweetly. "We were just about to order dessert."

"We don't mind waiting." The other man said. He was a bit tanner, taller and quite handsome, but for Ichigo, he was too old for her. "We can show you a thing or two on the dance floor."

"I have a boyfriend." Ichigo pointed out. "Sorry."

"Thanks for the offer though." Miwa said, barely suppressing a smile as she added. "We're flattered."

"All right." The taller guy conceded. "But if you change your mind…"

"We won't." Ichigo told him. The three men wandered off. The girls all made a face then burst out laughing.

"In their defense, they did seem nice." Miwa said.

"Yeah, but they were way too old. They had to be at least in their thirties." Ichigo said.

"Hey there's nothing wrong with older guys. Sometimes older guys are the most fun."

"Okay enough of this." Moe said standing up from her seat. "Let's hit the dance floor."

The three worked their way to the dance floor in front of the stage. They noticed their three suitors talking to three women who looked younger than them. At least they took rejection well.

Moe shook her hips to the pop rock beat. "Ooh, he's hot."

Ichigo didn't bother looking at the guy she was referring to. Moe's eyes continued to bounce over the crowd. She was clearly on the prowl, but Ichigo suspected more for herself than for her.

No sooner were they shaking their asses on the floor to the next song than Miwa leaned close and whispered. "Oh, over there. He's pretty cute."

She pointed and Ichigo followed the direction of her finger. She saw a guy who was probably twenty-two with a decent build and a very attractive face. Seeing her, he smiled. And revealed a mouth full of gold teeth.

"Ewww!"" Miwa and Ichigo proclaimed at the same time.

"Okay, so he's a negative." Miwa said. "But there'll be someone else."

Halfway through the song, Moe raised her eyebrows at her. Ichigo wondered what she was trying to tell her, until she felt someone's hand on her arm. She glanced over her shoulder at the stranger and saw a teddy bear of a man with tanned skin. Normally, she would've pulled away from him. Like she'd pulled away from the men in Okinawa who'd wanted to dance with her. But this time, she didn't pull away.

Ichigo shook her ass against his groin, having some fun teasing him. He grew hard in an instant, his dick now pressing against the top of her ass. Before, she would've been wary of this and backed off. But tonight, his erection turned her on, reminding her that she was a desirable young woman. Something Aoyama had forgotten. As she got bolder, bending forward slightly while pushing her ass harder against him. He planted his hands on her hips and pulled her against his groin and as they danced, their bodies moved like they were fucking with clothes on.

"Shit." The man said.

Giggling, Ichigo turned to face him. He was grinning at her as though she were the sexiest thing in the world. The look lifted her spirits. Yes, she was beautiful and sexy and had a hell of a lot to offer. They continued to dance close, but not too close this time, their hips pumping to the fast beat. At the end of the second song, she leaned forward and patted the man's arm in a friendly gesture.

"Thanks for the dance." She said.

"You're gonna leave me hanging like that?"

She shrugged apologetically. "I'm married." She was surprised to tell this guy she was married. She usually told guys that she had a boyfriend. However in certain cases with some kinds who didn't like the answer no, she would tell them that she was married. Plus the silver band that used to rest on her ring finger was an indication that she was permanently taken.

"Married?" He sounded surprised. "Damn girl."

"I know." Ichigo said a hint of self-chastising in her voice. "I guess I got carried away. But, yes, I'm a married woman out having a little bit of fun."

"That's it?" His eyebrows lifted hopefully.

"Yes, that's it."

"All right." The man nodded his understanding. "Lucky man."

Ichigo turned around and saw Miwa and Moe, who were standing with a drink in their hands. Moe with two in hand. They must have gotten drinks while she'd been dancing.

"Having fun?" Moe asked, offering her a drink.

"Yes." Ichigo answered honestly. She sipped the new drink, a strawberry daiquiri. "And I made a decision about something." She found herself saying.

"Oh?" They said at the same time.

"If I meet someone, I'm gonna go for it."

"Woo-hoo!" Moe gave her a high five and Ichigo had to quickly steady her glass so her drink didn't spill. "Does that mean you like that guy?"

"No, not him. He's nice, but…he's more fun. I want someone who makes me melt with one look."

One dance and she was in the mood to get lucky. One dance had reminded her that she was beautiful with a lot to offer and who didn't deserve to have her boyfriend cheat on her. Aoyama had said she should even the score. Mint said she should see if there was a better match out there for her. Well, she should at least even the playing field. If Ichigo was ever going to forgive him, she needed to do this. And satisfy her own curiosity in the process.

She'd never been with another man other than Aoyama and quite frankly, even in junior high she knew that once she started dating him she wouldn't have a need for anyone. That he was the one and only guy for her and no one else. That he would be forever.

The memory hurt and she downed her drink. Then eyed the men in the crowd. With Aoyama having been her only sexual experience, she'd naturally been curious about what it might be like to be intimate with another man. Curious, but not tempted.

Until now.

Moe flagged down a passing waitress with a tray of pink-colored shooters. She bought three.

"I don't know Moe."

"If we get too drunk, we'll call a cab." Moe offered her and Miwa the shooter.

"Absolutely." Miwa took a glass.

"Okay." Ichigo took the other glass and on the count of three, they all downed the shots.

She didn't even know what the alcohol was, but it had a citrusy tang to it. It warmed her insides and made her buzz come back with full force. The sounds of techno filled the place and her inhibitions gone Ichigo threw her hands in the air and seductively moved her body.

"Girl, you're getting some serious attention." Moe informed her. "You should see all the guys checking you out."

Ichigo glanced around coyly, noticed several eyes staring her way. But she didn't notice anyone who got her libido going and she was starting to wonder if she would.

"That guy right there." Moe said pointing through the crowd of people to a man that was hard to miss. He was tall and had muscles all over from what she could tell. He was handsome, but didn't feel a spark of attraction as she stole a glance at him.

Ichigo shook her head. "No."

"You're being WAY too picky."

"It has to be the right guy." Ichigo said. It wasn't hard for a woman to find a man to screw. All she had to do was ask. But Ichigo didn't want to bed just anyone. It had to be a guy who gave her butterflies in the pit of her stomach.

She continued dancing, gyrating her hips in a motion meant to seduce. She knew guys were watching her. Their blatant stares made her remember that, at her core, she was a sexy woman. She made her hip movements even sexier. Thanks to the alcohol, she was feeling good.

"Damn girl." A male voice said and Ichigo opened her eyes. "You're fittin' to give somebody a heart attack."

Ichigo smiled graciously at the guy she'd danced with earlier. He brazenly licked his bottom lip as she kept dancing.

He leaned in close. "You're husband know you dance like this when he ain't around?"

She didn't answer, just shook her hips.

"You look like you want a little something-something." The teddy bear whispered. "I can give you what you need."

Ichigo wondered if her desire for sex was painted on her forehead. "I'm just here to have fun." She said reiterating what she'd told him earlier. From behind the guy, she could see Moe and Miwa giving her two thumbs up.

"I can show you fun." He placed a hand on her waist.

"That's no way to speak to a married woman." She teased.

"What's your name?" He asked.

"Ichigo, yours?"

"Tetsuya, but my friends call me Teddy." He said which caused Ichigo to laugh. "What's so funny?" He asked.

"It's just that…I was thinking you kind of look like a teddy bear and here your nickname is Teddy." Ichigo shrugged when he didn't crack a smile. "Maybe it's not that funny after all?"

She soon realized why he hadn't smiled. Because he was seriously checking her out. The look he gave her was smoldering. It traveled over her face, paused on her lips then went lower to her breasts.

"You never step out on your man?" Tetsuya asked.

Ichigo smiled sweetly, hoping he'd take her rejection well. She was starting to get a tad worried, wondering if this guy wasn't the type who liked to hear no. "Like I said, I'm just here to dance and have a little fun."

"All right." Tetsuya shrugged and she was relieved. Knowing he'd lost the fight, he wandered away.

As he disappeared into the crowd, she thought to herself. 'What is wrong with me? He was cute, had a nice body. Most women wouldn't kick him out of bed in the morning. So why was I rejecting him?' Ichigo took in a breath and let it out in defeat. 'Maybe I'm deluding myself. Perhaps I was all talk in terms of thinking I could have an affair when reality I wouldn't be able to go through with it.'

Moe leaned her head in close. "Seriously Ichigo, what's wrong with him? He could have me in a bear hug all night long and I wouldn't complain. Not one tiny bit."

"Maybe I should go."

"Don't be so hasty, the night is young and don't forget. You're not looking for a new man. Just someone to give you a night of endless passion and hot orgasms."

As Ichigo started to laugh, she felt someone's eyes on her. As surely as if someone had reached out and touched her. Slowly she turned, got a jolt when her eyes connected with a pair of molten gold. And in that instant she knew.

He was the one.

* * *

BlueMoon Goddess: OOOHHH…who do you think she saw? Of course I'm sure everyone has a perfectly good idea who it is, but you gotta wait until the next chapter to be sure. ^_^


	5. Chapter 4

BlueMoon Goddess: Alright I know everyone was anxious for this chapter, so I decided to go ahead and update this faster. Now let's get onto it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew or its character's they all belong to Mia Ikumi and Reiko Yoshida. Also, all credit for the plot goes to Kayla Perrin's book 'Obsession' since this is where the story comes from.

Summary: After Aoyama confesses to an affair, Ichigo's anger leaves her livid and heartbroken, unable to process his attempt to repair the damage by suggesting she have a tryst of her own. Soon though, with a bit of encouraging from her friends, the idea of sex as retaliation begins to intrigue her, and it just might be what she needs before she can forgive Aoyama. And hooking up with Kisshu who's willing to push the limits of Ichigo's needs fits perfectly. Ichigo's greediness for Kisshu was always about experiencing intensity in the moment, but soon the affair runs its course and now it's time for her to focus on her future…with Aoyama. Except Kisshu is convinced he can't live without her. And one way or another he **will** have Ichigo, even if it means exacting revenge of his own.

* * *

As Ichigo's eyes made contact with the sexy stranger's the corners of his mouth lifted in the slightest of smiles. It wasn't a polite smile, but it was the kind that seemed to say _I want you_.

Her heart fluttered as she returned his smile then elbowed Moe and Miwa. "I think I found someone over there, the guy with the dark green hair that's short in the back but has some length in the front of his ears."

"Ooh, he looks pretty hot." Moe said smiling.

"Yea, though I didn't think you were into guys like him." Miwa added.

Now that Miwa mentioned it, yes, he didn't look like the kind of guy she probably looked twice at. In fact he didn't look like he was originally from Tokyo either. He looked pretty pale compared to Ichigo's skin and was notably skinny. But hey it didn't really matter. All that mattered to her was the fact that he was hot and that he was the first guy she'd had a connection with tonight.

"I haven't been into any guy besides Aoyama." Ichigo pointed out.

"Whatever you do, don't mention Aoyama when that guy gets over here. Cuz Ichigo, with the way he's looking at you, you know he'll be here any second." Moe said.

Ichigo met the guy's gaze again and realized they had an unusual color. They were gold with orange hues with small slits that stuck out more than anything due to their brightness. She never saw a guy with eyes like his before, but that one feature was already drawing in her interests. And though the golden eyed hottie was about twenty feet away, Ichigo could see the lust simmering in his eyes.

Lust for her. And that really turned her on. She swallowed, knowing that she was feeling the same lust. This was the connection she'd been hoping to find, something instantaneous and electric. And yet, this was foreign territory. She hadn't allowed herself to feel sexual attraction for another man in the past four years.

The man started toward her and her heart thundered in her chest. The very fact that she hadn't been with another man suddenly got to her, making her nervous. Would her heart really let her go through with this, even though her brain said she should?

"Crap, Moe, Miwa, he's heading over here. What do I say? Maybe having an affair really is a crazy idea."

"Ichigo calm down. You say hi, start a conversation…" Miwa started.

"And then take him somewhere and have him screw your brains out. Now get going." Moe finished, giving her a little shove.

She stumbled slightly into the man's path, feeling like an idiot as she did so. She shot an annoyed look over at Moe who gave her a false apologetic look, while Miwa was giving her an encouraging smile. Ichigo then drew in a breath and turned back to the man.

"Hello." He said.

"Hi…how are you tonight?" She responded then inwardly cringed. 'Argh, couldn't I have thought of something more interesting to say?' She thought miserably.

He chuckled softly. "I'm well, and you?"

"Oh, I'm feeling pretty good." Okay she really had to stop drinking. My god she sounded like a freaking idiot.

The man's eyes roamed over her from head to toe and Ichigo got the feeling that no matter how foolish she sounded, he wasn't going anywhere.

"You are very beautiful." He said simply. But his eyes said he wanted to have her for dessert.

"Thank you."

"May I buy you another drink?"

"Oh no." She waved off the suggestion. "I think I've had enough."

"You sure?"

"Well…maybe one more wouldn't hurt." Ichigo said backtracking. Her nerves had her babbling, that and the realization that if she was actually going to have an affair, she could use some more liquid courage.

"Strawberry daiquiri?" He asked.

"How did you know that?"

"I noticed." He replied, making Ichigo wonder if he'd been watching her longer than she'd realized or if he'd simply made a lucky guess.

"I'll be right back." He said and started for the bar.

Ichigo watched him go, butterflies dancing up a storm in her stomach. He was sexy, no doubt about it. He had a mysterious quality about him. Something that was a little dark and a lot tempting.

"Ichigo, if you don't like him." Moe said into her ear.

"I do." She responded. "He looks like exactly what I need, very different from Aoyama." Which was important, she didn't want to sleep with a guy who would have her thinking about her boyfriend. She wanted someone different, a guy who didn't look like a goody two shoes, always do right and play by the rules kind of guy.

Ichigo wanted the guy who looked like he had a bit of a bad boy in him. And that was the guy who wore a devilish grin as he approached her carrying two frosty drinks.

"One drink for you." He said handing one to Ichigo. "And one for your lovely friend."

"Why thank you." Moe said accepting the drink.

"Yes, thank you." Ichigo echoed.

And it was nice of him to buy a drink for Moe. It was a small thing, but the last time she'd been out with her friends and Aoyama, Aoyama had asked her friends for cash before heading to the bar to buy their drinks. Ichigo had been embarrassed that he couldn't fork out the cash to buy a drink for her friends, which was weird because before when all of them would hang out, he would be a perfect gentlemen and pay for their drinks. She guessed after years together people really did change.

Though when Ichigo thought of it, Aoyama had gotten very frugal over the years after they started college, he said it was because they were saving for a wedding and building for a family. Ichigo understood the argument but missed the romantic gestures of their early days. He no longer did spontaneous romantic things like send her flowers on occasion or surprise her with her favorite chocolates and little trinkets.

"What's your name?" He asked.

"Ichigo." She replied. "Yours?"

"Kisshu."

"Interesting name." She said, sipping her daiquiri, though she clearly didn't need it.

"Thanks. You are very stunning. I'm sorry if I can't stop staring at you. I've just never met a woman more beautiful."

Ichigo had been in a relationship for seven years and out of the dating scene, as Moe and Mint had said. But she knew a line when she heard one. And yet, her lower regions throbbed at the compliment nonetheless. It was the way he was looking at her that had her believing everything he said. His golden eyes had an intensity that was both unnerving and thrilling. She had the feeling that he could look inside her mind and see everything she was thinking. Everything she wanted.

"To be exact I've never met a guy as hot as you." She then blurted out then laughed at her uncharacteristic boldness.

Kisshu chuckled, then reached for her hand and she let him hold it. "You're not shy are you?"

"What I am is a little tipsy." She swayed slightly, proving his point.

His eyes were steadfast on hers. The heat in his gaze literally warmed her skin. "Are you married?"

Ichigo's eyes narrowed as she looked up at Kisshu. "Why would you ask that?"

He ran the pad of his thumb over the base of her bare ring finger. "You used to wear a ring there. Am I right?"

She laughed nervously. "Are you psychic?"

"No, I'm interested."

Kisshu got to the point in a way she liked, a lot. She sipped some of her drink. "Thank you for the drink."

"You said that already."

"I did, didn't I?"

He leaned his lips close to her ear, so close they almost touched her skin. "Did he hurt you...your husband?"

Was this guy particularly astute or did every betrayed woman out on the town act the way Ichigo was, to the point where it was a cliché?

"Did he?" Kisshu repeated.

Ichigo wasn't sure what to say. She didn't want a commitment with this guy, only a night of delicious sex. "Yes…he hurt me. And he's not my husband; he was my ex-boyfriend." She said honestly. "But I'm out tonight because I want to forget all about that."

"I can help you forget."

From any other guy, Ichigo would consider this conversation extremely forward. But perhaps Kisshu had known just by looking at her that she would welcome his advances. That she needed him to make the first move.

"Yes." She agreed. "I suppose you can."

During their conversation, they'd been mildly moving their bodies to the music. Now, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Though a fast song was playing, he gyrated his hips against hers slowly. His erection left nothing to the imagination. Ichigo matched his movements, her own slow and seductive. She wasn't thinking, only feeling and this felt right.

Balancing the drink in her hand, she turned so that her ass was now against Kisshu's groin. She shook her ass against him and grinned when a primal groan escaped his throat. Her drink was in the way, so she took a few steps to a nearby table and plopped it down. Then she danced her way back to him, her hands in the air, her hips moving left and right. He met her and together they danced, this time keeping up with the fast rhythm. His fingers moved up and down her arms, leaving delicious sensations in their wake. He stroked her face, dipped his mouth close to hers then pulled away without kissing her.

Oh so the guy was a tease. Well Ichigo was gonna show him a tease. She stroked his chest through his shirt then with the tip of one finger dared to touch his exposed skin around his midriff. She let her other hand wander lower and his eyes widened in both surprise and expectation. Ichigo pulled her hand away before it reached his groin.

Kisshu laughed, slipped his hands around her waist. "I want to take you home."

"I want you to take me home." She replied. Everything was easy between them, easy and electric. Ichigo had even forgotten all about Moe and Miwa while flirting with Kisshu on the dance floor. She glanced around but didn't see them. The band then was back onstage, preparing for their next set.

"This is a good time to leave." Kisshu said.

"I'm looking for my friends." She said. "Will you excuse me for a minute?"

Kisshu nodded. "Of course."

She looked around the lounge but didn't see Moe or Miwa anywhere. She found herself strolling toward the restrooms. It was crowded inside, but she spotted them immediately. They were in front of a mirror at the far end of the restroom.

Ichigo made her way over to them and their faces lit up when they saw her. "Hey!"

"Everything okay?" Ichigo asked.

Miwa planted a hand on her hip. "You missed all the drama."

Ichigo's eyes widened in alarm. "What happened?"

"Some jerk made a play for Moe. You remember the guy with the gold teeth?"

Ichigo nodded. "What did he do?"

Moe applied face powder. "He stuck his hand down my top."

"What?!" Ichigo gasped in outrage.

"It's okay Ichigo." Moe said. "I told him if he ever touched me again, I'd break all of his fingers one by one."

Ichigo smiled. Her friend had more balls than most guys.

"Then Rin, Dai, and Kouta came over and gave the guy a talking to. Told him he needed to learn to respect women." Miwa stated.

"Wait, whose Rin, Dai, and Kouta?" Ichigo asked confused.

Miwa rested her hip against the sink as she faced Ichigo. "The three older guys who were checking us out."

"Wait a sec, you guys are on a first-name basis with them?"

Moe produced her lipstick from her purse. "Actually they're very sweet. And Dai, the taller one is quite something on the dance floor. We're having a good time."

Ichigo shook her head, but was grinning.

"A platonic time of course." Moe stressed. "Those guys are nothing like that hottie who's all over you." She paused, pressed her lips together to even out her lipstick. "It looks like everything is going very well with him."

"He said he wants to take me home."

"When are you leaving?"

Ichigo hesitated. In the heat of the moment, she'd been ready to leave with Kisshu. But now that she was talking to Moe and Miwa, she was suddenly having doubts.

"Maybe I shouldn't." She said. "I don't have a car, which means I'd have to leave with him…and is that smart?"

"You're considering screwing him but you don't want to leave with him?" Moe questioned.

"Not so loud, please." Ichigo whispered, glancing around. The other women occupying the restroom were either applying makeup or hanging around chatting. Women's restrooms were about so much more than using the toilets.

"You don't think he's a creep do you?" Miwa asked.

"No." Ichigo answered easily. "But you know…I haven't done this, like ever. I want to be smart."

Moe and Miwa nodded. "Okay, the way I see it you have a couple of options." Moe started. "One, there's the Sun 8 across the way. You can spend the night there. Or you can go to the guys' place. Just make sure to casually slip in that your friend is a cop. That should do the trick."

"The hotel idea sounds pretty good." Ichigo shouldn't be worried. It was only going to be a one-night stand, not the start of forever. They could fuck each other then leave in the morning and never have to see each other again.

"You have enough money for a cab?" Miwa asked.

"Yes, I've got enough." Ichigo always had a good amount of money in her wallet. Her father had drummed into her head the necessity of having money on hand in case of an emergency.

With that decided they exited the bathroom. Ichigo glanced around but didn't see Kisshu anywhere. She frowned. "I don't see him."

"He's got to be around here somewhere." Miwa said.

"You know what, let's just go."

"What, why?" Moe asked.

"He's not here…maybe that's a sign."

"But he could be in the rest–"

"I made up my mind." Ichigo wrapped her fingers around Moe and Miwa's forearms and steered them towards the exit. Now that Kisshu was nowhere to be found, she was taking the coward's way out.

"Oh, all right." Moe sounded disappointed.

"I thought I was ready but…"Her voice trailed off. But what, why was she running?

The answer came to her in the next instant. She was running because she was afraid of the intense reaction she was having to him. How easily a man who wasn't her boyfriend turned her on and made her want to get naked. A man who was a stranger.

When they stepped outside, the air was warm and moist, but far more refreshing than the sweat-filled air in the lounge. Her head swayed a little, reminding her that she'd had too much to drink. Moe and Miwa offered her an arm and they began to walk. They strolled past the various clubs along the way, passing giggling groups of women in skimpy clothes. Their night was just beginning, while she was headed home. Sexually frustrated.

"Ichigo!"

Moe and Miwa stopped abruptly, their faces lit up. "Did you hear that?" Miwa asked.

She did and Ichigo's stomach jumped. Slowly she turned, secretly excited that Kisshu had followed her out. But when she saw who'd called her, her stomach jumped again, this time in fear.

"Oh my god." She muttered, dread rushing through her body. She suddenly got the sense that something terrible was about to happen.

"What's wrong Ichigo?" Moe asked.

"That's not Kisshu. It's the guy from the bar, the buff guy who was hitting on me."

"No big deal." Miwa said.

"I told him I wasn't interested." Ichigo said, turning around. "I told him I was married."

"Why would you tell him you were married? You usually only say that to guys who can't take a hint." She said.

"Yea and I'm glad I did. Because I don't know why he's following me out of the place?" Ichigo said concerned. She didn't give her friends a chance to answer and instead began walking briskly, taking them along with her.

"Maybe he's a little drunk." Miwa said. "You know guys with liquid courage. I'm sure he's harmless."

Harmless her ass! Every fiber in Ichigo's being was saying that this guy was trouble and that she'd taken her flirting with him too far and now she was going to pay for it.

"Ichigo!" He sounded closer.

She let go of her friend's arm and started to run. More of a jog really considering her high heels.

"Ichigo, don't freak out." Moe said.

Suddenly, Tetsuya was in front of her making Ichigo jolt to a stop. Before she could turn, he grabbed her by her upper arms. "Ichigo." He said, slightly out of breath. "Why the hell are you running away?"

"I told you, I'm _married_." Ichigo said, stressing the word as she shrugged out of his touch. "Will you please just leave me alone?"

"I only want to talk to you."

"What part of 'leave me alone' don't you understand?" Moe asked walking up to them. Ichigo guessed that her friend finally realized this guy was more of a pest than she needed to deal with, even if his plan wasn't to hurt her physically.

"I'm not talking to you." Tetsuya said to Moe then turned back to Ichigo. "I want to get to know you. Maybe take you for a drink, I'll take things slow." He bit down on his bottom lip as lust pooled in his eyes. "Fuck, you're beautiful."

Ichigo didn't say anything. She stood paralyzed. Tetsuya's words making her feel really scared and uncomfortable.

"Go home buddy." Moe told him. "Sleep it off."

"You're not really married are you?" Tetsuya asked Ichigo.

"All right." Moe said. "Enough, we're leaving." She took hold of Ichigo's arm and started to move, motioning Miwa to come as well who decided to stay where she was when Ichigo started jogging.

But Tetsuya grabbed Ichigo's elbow, yanking her backward with so much force that she actually cried.

"So what the fuck was that in there?" Tetsuya demanded, clearly feeling she owed him an explanation. "Were you just being a damn tease? That's it, get a guy hard then leave him hanging?"

Moe stepped between the two of them. "Now you've crossed a line. Get the hell out of here you jerk."

Tetsuya gave Moe a shove, knocking her to the ground.

"Moe!" Ichigo and Miwa screamed. Miwa rushed over to her to help her out while Tetsuya grabbed Ichigo's arms and yanked her against his hard chest. But just as quickly he let her go, his eyes bulging in surprise a moment before he whipped his head around. In an instant she knew why.

"Kisshu?"

Kisshu had grabbed Tetsuya by the collar and jerked him off her. He glowered at him asking. "Why are you bothering the young lady?"

Even though Ichigo's heart was pounding, she couldn't help smiling and being grateful that he had come looking for her.

"Who the hell are you?" Tetsuya asked.

"The person who'll be your worst nightmare if you touch Ichigo again." Kisshu rammed both of his hands into Tetsuya's chest and he stumbled backward, nearly falling.

Tetsuya's hateful eyes landed on Ichigo then he turned to Kisshu. "You want her? Fine, a girl like that, she's nothing but trouble. Fucking tease!"

Moe, fuming, came to stand by Ichigo's side. Her hands were balled into fists and Ichigo suspected she wanted to kick Tetsuya's ass for touching her. "Touch me again, no, say another word, and you'll live to regret it."

Ichigo smiled at her, thankful for her guts. She wished she had half of her friend's bravado. Kisshu stared Tetsuya down, emphasizing Moe's threat. Tetsuya tried to look tough, but Ichigo saw a hint of defeat in his dark eyes. Even though Tetsuya had more weight on Kisshu, there was no mistaking the very serious look on his face that said not to mess with him. Tetsuya clearly got the message and began backing up. But his eyes were on Ichigo, menacing, an unspoken threat. Then he turned around and marched back toward the lounge.

With Tetsuya gone, Kisshu slipped his arms around Ichigo's waist. She was surprised at how much comfort his touch gave her, considering she'd only met him tonight.

"Who was that guy?" Kisshu asked.

"Someone I met in the lounge. I guess he was hoping to take me home."

"Jerk." Moe quipped. "A guy wants you but you don't want him, he turns into an A-hole."

Ichigo glanced at Moe shooting her an appreciative look. She never failed to come to her defense. She really was one of her best friends.

"Kisshu, these are my friends, Moe and Miwa."

"Hello." Moe and Miwa said in unison.

"Ladies." He then turned his attention to Ichigo. He looked a little confused as he said. "You left without me."

She glanced down embarrassed.

"Were you planning to come back?" Kisshu went on.

Ichigo didn't know what to say, so she said nothing. But she did feel foolish for having run out on him.

Moe cleared her throat. "Ichigo?

She turned to look at her.

"Me and Miwa are gonna go now okay? Are you coming with us, or…"

Kisshu's fingers tightened on Ichigo's waist, a silent plea. She gazed into his eyes and knew she was going nowhere but with him.

"Or…" Ichigo replied with a smile.

The edges of Moe's lips curled. "Call us when you get where you're going. And Kisshu, so you know…my dad's a cop."

"Don't worry; I'm going to treat your friend very well."

Moe smirked. "I'll bet." She mimed putting a phone to her ear and said again. "Call us."

"See you later Ichigo." Miwa said happily, as the both of them started off.

"Wait." Kisshu said, and Moe and Miwa turned. He fished out his wallet and produced five thousand and one hundred forty-six yen. (A/N: That's fifty in US dollars, believe me I checked.)

Moe and Miwa both narrowed their eyes in confusion.

"It's for cab fare."

"Thanks but it's alright, we have money." Moe replied politely.

"Take it." Kisshu told her and pressed the money into her palm. "This way I won't feel so bad for taking your friend away from you guys tonight."

Moe shrugged, putting the money in her purse. "All right, but you still have to call us Ichigo."

"Of course." Kisshu and Ichigo said at the same time.

With that taken care of, Moe and Miwa strolled away leaving Kisshu and Ichigo standing on the sidewalk.

"Looks like it's just you and me." He said.

Ichigo met his gaze. "It looks that way."

"So…what do we do now?"

She glanced over her shoulder in the direction of the Sun 8 hotel, but didn't mouth her suggestion.

Kisshu followed her line of sight. "Are you sure that's what you want?"

She licked her bottom lip, stalling for time, wondering if she would go through with making her fantasy a reality. Heat radiated from him as he stared at her. Excitement warmed every inch of her body. She wondered what it was about him that made her so hot with a single look.

"I know I want you." She said.

Kisshu trailed the pad of his thumb along her bottom lip. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." She answered, her hesitation gone. She was attracted to him and she was going to go for what she wanted, no guilt.

He ran his thumb across her bottom lip again. Ichigo wanted to open her mouth and lave her tongue over his thumb, give him an idea of what she would do later to his dick.

"I don't live far from here." He said. "My place is comfortable. I've got a big bed…we don't have to go to a hotel."

She was trusting this guy enough to get naked with him, so it didn't really matter where they ended up in bed. After a night of hopefully fantastic sex, she'd be on her merry way, simple as that. Without him knowing where she lived, there'd be no future contact unless _she _wanted to see him again.

She placed her hand on his chest and could feel his heart beating beneath her palm. "All right then." She said. "Take me to your place."

Smiling, Kisshu took her hand. It was warm and a little moist. She wondered if he was nervous or if he routinely took women home. Again, it didn't matter. Ichigo wasn't concerned with commitment, just sex and evening the score, as Aoyama had so eloquently instructed her to do.

* * *

BlueMoon Goddess: Alright I know everyone is happy that Kisshu finally made his appearance. So now that Ichigo agreed to sleep with him and she's heading to his place, let's see what kind of and steamy sex she'll be experiencing. Also the Sun 8 hotel is an actual love hotel that's in Kyoto, it looked pretty good from the pictures, and it looked nicer than most I looked up for this chapter. So if you and a lover of yours actually go to Japan, go there.


	6. Chapter 5

BlueMoon Goddess: Alright, my semester is over with and I decided to celebrate by updating another chapter! So this one is it, I'm sure you guys are just waiting for them to spice things up, so let's get the chapter started.

Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew or its character's they all belong to Mia Ikumi and Reiko Yoshida. Also, all credit for the plot goes to Kayla Perrin's book 'Obsession' since this is where the story comes from.

Summary: After Aoyama confesses to an affair, Ichigo's anger leaves her livid and heartbroken, unable to process his attempt to repair the damage by suggesting she have a tryst of her own. Soon though, with a bit of encouraging from her friends, the idea of sex as retaliation begins to intrigue her, and it just might be what she needs before she can forgive Aoyama. And hooking up with Kisshu who's willing to push the limits of Ichigo's needs fits perfectly. Ichigo's greediness for Kisshu was always about experiencing intensity in the moment, but soon the affair runs its course and now it's time for her to focus on her future…with Aoyama. Except Kisshu is convinced he can't live without her. And one way or another he **will** have Ichigo, even if it means exacting revenge of his own.

* * *

Kisshu lived in a sprawling apartment complex in Kyoto, just down the road from one of her favorite shops her and her friends usually go to. These weren't the average complexes she'd normally see, which were high-rise. Instead, the ones he lived in consisted of several low-rise buildings, two to three stories high, with probably four to six units per building. Though it was dark, Ichigo could see that his apartment complex was very eye-catching, with lots of bushes and colorful flowers and pristine lawns.

Kisshu pulled into a parking spot in front of a building that had a large number 9 emblazoned at its highest point over the stairwell. He killed the engine then looked at her.

"Do you umm…have any condoms?" Ichigo found herself asking.

A slow grin spread on his face. "Yes."

"I know I should've asked before…." She didn't finish her statement, figuring there was no point. She was still tipsy from the alcohol she'd consumed and from this point on, she'd be better of concentrating on extracurricular activities as opposed to talking.

Kisshu opened her car door for her and offered her his hand to help her get out. It made her think of Aoyama, how he always held her hand to help her get out of cars and up certain places. Again, Kisshu held her hand and walked with her. She liked that.

The building there were at had two levels and Kisshu lived on the second one. At the top of the stairs he went to the first door on the left. That was when he let go of her hand to go about opening the door. Something made her turn, look over her shoulder. She saw no one.

'What am I being concerned about, that someone Aoyama knew would see me going into another guy's home?' Ichigo thought. Hell it wasn't like she didn't get her boyfriend's permission to screw someone else.

Her thoughts fled her brain as Kisshu enveloped her in his arms and pulled her into his place. He gave the door a shove to close it then covered her lips with his. Ichigo started, surprised at the sudden action but a moment later, she melted into the kiss. He wasn't shy or hesitant. His tongue entered her mouth hungrily and tangled with hers. He kissed her with the kind of passion that said he'd wanted to do that all night long. Heat spread through her body and her womanly core began to throb.

Kisshu broke the kiss and took a step backward. The air touched her moist lips, making them feel cool where a moment ago they'd been warm. "Would you like a drink?" He asked her.

"No I'm fine." She'd definitely had enough for the night.

"You don't mind if I have one do you?"

"Of course not."

As he started off toward the kitchen, Ichigo's eyes swept over his place, checking out the abstract paintings on the wall. The place wasn't what she'd expected. It was very neat and unlike what she'd expected of a bachelor, he had a sense of style. The walls where grey and the sofa and the armchair were black, the carpet was cream colored and she didn't see even one mark on it.

"You have a nice place." She commented Kisshu out of earshot.

The next instant, he rounded the corner from the kitchen, a Kirin Tanrei in hand. Her stomach fluttered as she saw him again. He really was attractive. More than attractive, he oozed sex appeal. He tipped the can to his lips and sipped and for some reason Ichigo found herself wondering how his tongue might feel on her pussy….

The thought jarring her, she sat on his sofa. He eased himself down beside her. He took another quick pull of his beer and before he even moved the can from his mouth, he curled his fingers around her neck and pulled her close. The moment his lips met hers, it was as though she'd been touched by a live wire. A jolt of searing heat shot through her. Her lips parted on a moan and Kisshu gently captured the tip of her tongue with his teeth. He sucked her tongue, her bottom lip, her entire body was alive with an intense sexual desire she hadn't felt in a long time.

She slipped her fingers into his hair, took fistfuls of it and gently tugged. Kisshu broke the kiss and she moaned in disappointment, wondering if he'd mistakenly gotten the idea that she'd wanted him to stop. He eased his face away from hers and stretched his arm out to put his beer can on the glass coffee table. Then he returned to her, using both hands to caress her jaw and neck. She could hear his ragged breathing as the tips of his fingers slowly trailed over her skin. Kisshu touched her reverently, as though she were a priceless piece of art. She'd never felt more beautiful.

"How would you like me to please you?" He asked his tone husky.

"You are pleasing me."

Kisshu moved one hand down the length of Ichigo's neck to the area between her breasts. She held her breath, wondering if he would pull her top down and expose her.

"What is it that you love the most?" He asked. His hand moved lower, to her belly, where he skimmed her clothed stomach with his fingers in a rhythmic motion. She sucked in a breath. "I want to please you in every way imaginable."

Ichigo had been out of the dating game for a long time, but she doubted that Kisshu was the typical guy who picked up a woman for sex. Guys tended to be out for number one, a woman's pleasure secondary in their minds. And yet here Kisshu was, concerned with her pleasure first and foremost.

"What is it your boyfriend didn't do that you'd like me to try?"

Her stomach twisted. "No, please. Don't mention him. I don't want to think about my ex."

Kisshu didn't say anything, just moved his hands lower, resting them on the outside of her dress. "You're nervous." He said.

"…Yes."

"You haven't been with another man in a long time."

"I want to be with you."

His hand moved over the top of her thighs. "I can tell by the way you've pressed your legs tightly together that you enjoy someone playing with your pussy…a lot."

Ichigo couldn't help it, she moaned.

"So I'm right." He inched a hand under the bottom of her dress while using his upper body to ease her back on the sofa. "But why do I think that your pussy is starved for affection?"

"What makes you say that?" Ichigo asked, wondering if he could somehow read her mind.

"It's the way you won't spread your legs for me, and yet…I see the desire in your eyes." He placed one hand on her belly. "I feel it in your breathing."

She glanced at his hand on the top of her dress and noticed how quickly it rose and fell. Kisshu was right. Ichigo was right about him, he was no ordinary guy.

"Relax your legs."

She did and he easily parted them. He moved a hand up her thigh, slowly, as though savoring every touch of her skin. When he reached her core, he moaned his pleasure then stroked his thumb over her clit through her panties.

"Do you like that?" Kisshu asked.

Ichigo exhaled a shaky breath. "Yes…"

Back and forth he stroked her. Stroked her until she was panting then he moved her panties aside and touched her skin to skin. Her eyes fluttered shut as raw sexual desire shot through her.

"Yes." He said. "That's it."

Ichigo's moans grew louder and her body began to tense. As though sensing she could come any moment, Kisshu stopped stroking her, but let his fingers rest on her mound.

"Do you know what I love about a woman's clit?" He stroked her again and she shuddered. "The fact that it gets erect, just like a penis. I love the way it trembles slightly when a woman is really aroused. Right now, your clit is hard and it's trembling." He pressed his nose to her neck and inhaled deeply. "Tell me what you want me to do."

She took fistfuls of his shirt in his hands. "Fuck me."

"I think you want something else you naughty kitten." He slipped one finger into her core and she groaned wantonly. "My fingers?" He asked. "My tongue…tell me?"

"Just fuck me. Please…"

"There's no need to rush kitty-cat. We have all night." His thumb and finger were working faster now, making her breathless.

"I need you to fuck me." Ichigo begged. "I need it, right now."

"It…or me?"

Ichigo's eyes met Kisshu's. She didn't understand the question. "You." She told him and gyrated her hips against his hand so there'd be no doubt. Slowly he started playing with her pussy again. She closed her eyes. "Yes, yes…yes, that's it. Make me forget…"

His fingers stopped moving. "What did you say?"

Her chest heaving, Ichigo's eyes popped open. "Huh?"

"You said 'Make me forget.' Do you mean forget your boyfriend?"

'Had I said that?' Ichigo thought.

"I want you to want _me_." Kisshu stressed.

"I do." She raised her head and kissed his jaw. "Of course I do."

Kisshu eased away from her, unconvinced. "I think what you want most is to forget about how he hurt you."

She stared at him confused.

"I think that for you, any man will do." He went on.

"What? No. No, that's not true." She snaked her arms around his neck. "The moment I saw you, I knew it had to be you. I'm here because I want you."

Kisshu placed his hands on her arms, but not in a way that said he was going to succumb to her touch. "I like you Ichigo. And I don't want you to think of me as a mistake tomorrow morning."

She framed his face. "Why are you saying that?" She asked him. "I won't think that?"

He turned his lips onto one of her palms and kissed it. "You know where I live."

Ichigo's heart rate accelerated. "Are you sending me away?"

"If you wake up in the morning and decide that you still want me, you can come back."

Disappointed, Ichigo groaned. Every part of her body was throbbing with carnal need. "Please don't do this."

Kisshu kissed her palm again then the inside of her wrist. "You." Another kiss. "Know." Another kiss. "Where." Another kiss. "I live." Now he moved his lips away from her wrist to her mouth and gave her a tender kiss. "If you want me."

"Please…"

He silenced her with his lips. He gave her a deep, hungry kiss that said he didn't want their night together to end. And yet, he broke the kiss, stood and walked to the phone near the armchair.

"What are you doing?"

"Calling you a cab. I'll pay the fare, of course."

"No please don't. You can give me a ride home if you want."

"If I give you a ride, I'll want to touch you. And I don't want to touch you until you're ready." He punched in some digits. "And this way, I won't know where you live, so if you want to see me again, the decision is yours."

Before Ichigo could respond, Kisshu began speaking into the phone. He requested a cab at his address then replaced the receiver. He came back to the sofa and sat beside her. Taking her hands in his, he pressed his lips to her cheek. "Did your boyfriend cheat on you?" He asked softly.

Instead of answering him, Ichigo only nodded.

"He's a fool." Kisshu said.

She said nothing but nodded again. "May I use your bathroom?"

With a nod of his head, he indicated a door behind the sofa on the right. "It's right there."

Ichigo stood and made her way to the bathroom. One glance in the mirror had her frowning. Her eyes were red and slightly dazed. She looked like a drunk.

No wonder he hadn't wanted to fuck her! Whether because he thought she was hung up on her boyfriend or because he felt she wasn't sober enough to do the act. He was actually a pretty good guy, for which she could give only give him credit.

When Ichigo exited the bathroom, she saw him standing at the door. The cab driver was already there. Ichigo wanted to tell Kisshu to send the driver away, reassure him that she wanted to be with him tonight, but she didn't. If he didn't want her to stay, she wouldn't beg him.

"I've given the driver enough to cover the fare." Kisshu said.

She realized he was making sure the driver wouldn't try to charge her as well. Nodding, she stepped outside. The driver continued on, but she hesitated at the door. "You're a strange guy." She said to him. "You've get me all hot and bothered–"

He kissed her again and she whimpered when he pulled away. "You know where I live."

With that, he stepped back into his apartment and closed the door.

* * *

BlueMoon Goddess: You guys were expecting that lemon huh, yea sorry but no lemony goodness in this chapter. But hey at least you got a lime. Now things should be getting better as the chapters go on. So look out for the next chapter because next time there will be a lemon. Until then! ^_^


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